276 
SOUTH SEA 
his lacerating teeth . The formidable monster laid his 
whole length close alongside of us, and did not attempt 
to stir until I endeavoured to pierce him with the point 
of the boat-hook, which I thrust at him with all my 
strength, and he then only moved slowly away to a short 
distance from us. As we were passing away from this 
romantic spot, which I have vainly endeavoured to 
describe, several sharks assailed the blades of our oars 
with great fury with their teeth, and it was quite a com- 
mon occurrence for them to dart at a hooked fish at the 
moment we were hauling it on board the boat. Often- 
times when I have been fishing off these islands, have 
I observed them slowly moving towards my bait, and 
when they have just been in the act of seizing it I have 
jerked it from them, and at times have been obliged to 
do so frequently before I could get rid of my trouble- 
some and disgusting assailants. Of course if they suc- 
ceeded in getting the bait within their merciless jaws, 
away went your tackle in an instant with extreme force, 
and such an event when it happened always filled me 
with sensations of the greatest disgust, and even horror. 
Whalers, whenever they happen to be near the shore, 
are much in the habit of visiting it, whether it be inha- 
bited or not, with a view of obtaining fish or turtle ; and 
if it should be inhabited, they then visit it to trade with 
the natives, either for food of various kinds, which they 
may possess, or for curiosities, such as shells, clubs, 
spears, and other things of the like nature. They are 
therefore frequently meeting with accidents when in their 
boats pursuing such avocations, either from surf or sud- 
