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Shark-Fishing on the Coast of Florida
NNUALLY are more frequent in hot than in temnear the begin- perate climates. They are in general ning of April, solitary, and often wander to vast disthe season of tances, devouring almost everything that shark-fishing comes in their way, which they are able commences to swallow. Some of them will follow along the coast vessels several hundred leagues, for the of Florida, which is gen- carcasses and filth that are thrown overerally practised by the board. The size to which they grow is negroes, who use strong enormous, as they often weigh from one lines, to which are at- to four thousand pounds each. Some tached chains and large few species go in schools, and live on and very strong hooks, shell-fish and marine worms.
Their flesh is altogether so tough, coarse, and of such a disagreeable smell,' and fasten to the hook a large sea bass as bait. When the Shark has swallowed the bait and hook, and the latter has im- that even the young ones are scarcely bedded itself in the flesh or gills, an ani- eatable. Their bodies emit a phosphoric mated combat for superiority commences light in the dark. The skin is rough, and between the fishermen and the furiously is in general use for polishing ivory, wood, snapping and jumping sea-monster. The and other substances; thongs and carline is slackened and pulled in, until the riage traces are also occasionally made of Shark, entirely exhausted, can be pulled it. The liver is generally found to yield on shore and killed. The big fish is then a considerable quantity of oil. There are hung up on a scaffolding, and the liver is upwards of thirty species. The White Shark. taken out and boiled, by which process an oil is extracted which is as valuable as that of the whale. It is quite a common This dreadful species of Shark has six occurrence, for from twenty to thirty rows of teeth, hard, sharply pointed, and Sharks to be caught in this way by one of a wedge-like figure. These he has the crew in a single day. power of erecting and depressing at The animals that compose the rapacious pleasure. When the animal is at rest, tribe of Sharks are entirely marine and they are quite flat in his mouth; but, ١٦ (45) when prey is to be seized, they are in- the divers have been in danger, have stantly erected by a set of muscles that thrown themselves into the water, with join them to the jaw. Thus, with open knives in their hands, and have hastened mouth, goggling eyes, and large and to their defence; but too often all their bristly fins, his whole aspect is an em- dexterity and precaution have been of no phatic picture of the fiercest, deepest avail. and most savage malignity.
Fearless Swimmers.
