224 
SHARK. 
Hughes, in his Natural History of Barbadoes, 
mentions an instance of personal courage which will 
hardly be credited; yet as it rests on good authority 
we conceive it our duty to relate the story- In the 
reign of queen Anne a merchant-ship arrived at 
Barbadoes from England. Some of the crew were 
one day bathing in the sea, when a large shark ap- 
peared, and swam directly towards them. They 
were advertised of their danger from a person on 
board the ship ; and immediately hurried towards 
the vessel, were they all arrived in perfect safety, 
except one poor fellow who was cut in two by the 
shark almost within reach of the oars. A comrade 
and most intimate friend of the unfortunate victim, 
when he observed the severed trunk of his com- 
panion, was seized with a degree of horror that may 
be more readily conceived than described. The 
voracious monster was seen traversing the bloody 
surface in search of the remainder of his prey, 
when the brave youth plunged into the water, de- 
termined either to make the shark disgorge, or to 
be buried himself in the same grave. He held in 
his hand a long and sharp-pointed knife, and the 
rapacious animal pushed furiously towards him: 
he had turned on his side, and opened his enor- 
mous jaws, in order to seize him, when the youth, 
diving dexterously under, seized the shark with his 
left hand, somewhere below the upper fins, and stab- 
bed him several times in the belly. The shark, en- 
raged with pain, and streaming with blood, at- 
tempted by every means in his power to disengage 
