Adventure with Sharks.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 23, 20 April 1870, Page 3

Adventure with Sharks.

Twenty years ago, the West Indian squadron consisted of suiling frigates and brigs, not of screw vessels as at present. In those days officers had to depend entirely upon their seamanship ; there was no furling sails and getting up steam if a head wind or calm turned up, or to ,go in and out of difficult harbours ; and if the passage from one port to another did occupy a little more time than it does at present, yet there was the pleasure of "eating your way to windward," and of seeing what your vessel really oould do against a foul wind.

At the time I allude to, being on halfpay, and having rather too much time on my hands, I had accepted an invitation from my old friend and schoolfellow, Captain B ,of her Majesty's sloop II , to accompany him on a cruise in the Gulf of Mexico, Jolly were the times we had in the sloop, visiting every hole and corner of the station ; sometimes down the Gulf of Mexico, at others cruising among the sandy bays of the Bahama Channel, or knocking about the beautiful Windward Islands. Captain B was a very smart officer, and by dint of constant exercise made his the smartest vessel on the station; but we "were very unfortunate in losing men overboard. Being a remarkably good swimmer, I was fortunate enough to rescue, on more than one occasion, men who, in performing their duties aloft, fell overboard ; and it was when so occupied that I met with the adventure I am about to relate. We had been cruising for some time for slavers on the south coast of Cuba, but the yellow fever having made its appearance, we early one morning left Santiago de Cuba for Port Boyal, Jamaica. That evening, at sunset, after the usual hour's exercise in reefing and furling, all possible sail was made, with studding-sails below and aloft, to a fine fresh breeze, the brig going a fair twelve knots. One of the maintop men had remained aloft finishing some job, and. was on his way down over the cat-harping shrouds, when, by some means or other, he lost his hold, and, falling, struck the spare topsail yards, stowed in the main chains, and went overboard. I was instantly on the stern grating, and seeing him fall, instantly sang out, " Man overboard !" and throwing off my jacket, jumped over the quarter after him. The impetus of my leap took me some distance under water, but on regaining the surface I saw him not far from me just as he was going down. Exerting all my power, a few strokes took me to the place where he had disappeared, and I saw him slowly sinking beneath ine. In an instant I was down after him, and clutching him by the hair, I brought him to the surface. By this time the brig was nearly two miles distant'from us, for although sail bad been

shortened, and the vessel brought to the wind as quickly as mortal hands could do it, the rate at which she was going at the time of the accident of course bore her rapidly from us. I found the poor fellow quite insensible, and from the fact of his right arm hanging limp, conjectured that he had broken it in the fall, which proved to be the case. Supporting him with one arm, I kept afloat with the other; and looking round, I saw the life-buoy floating not far from us. Taking a good grip of his hair, I swam towards it, and having succeeded in reaching it, made my iinfortunate shipmate fast to it by one of the beckets, with his head well above the water. By this time he was coming to himself, and I knew that if they could see us from the brig, her boats would be soon alongside of us ; but this did not appear to be the case, as the boats seemed to pull in all directions save the right one. Suddenly I saw, but a few yards from us, an object that filled me with unutterable dread—the black fin of a monster shark. Slowly the brute approached, until I could clearly distinguish that he was one of the largest kind. He evidently intended to reconnoitre, and when only about five yards from us, began to swim slowly in a circle, but gradually nearing, until I could clearly distinguish the horrid eyes that make the shark's countenance what it is—the very embodiment of Satanic malignity. Half concealed between the bony brows, the little green eyes gleam with so peculiar an expression of hatred, such a concentration of fiendish malice, of quiet, calm, settled villany, that no other countenance that I have ever seen at all resembles. Knowing that the brute is as cowardly as he is ferocious, I commenced to splash as much as I could with my feet. This had the desired effect, and for the moment he disappeared. Again I looked round for the boats, but still no sign that we were seen. Night was fast falling—there is no twilight in these latitudes—and I could see little or no chance of escaping a horrid death from the jaws of a brute who, I full well knew, could not be far off. Suddenly a cry of horror from my companion, who had now quite recovered his senses, drew my attention to tlio rapid approach of our dread enemy. This time he seemed determined not to be baulked, but came straight on for us. Again I threw myself on my baok, and kicked and splashed with all my strength, which had the effect of again frightening him, for he went right under us, and again disappeared. Uttering a short but fervent ejaculation of thankfulness, T again turned my attention to the boats, and beheld, with feelings no pen can

express, that at last we had been made oil t, and that one of the cutters was fast pulling towards us. But oven as she came, our peril increased, for the shark was joined by another, and both kept cruising but a few; yai-ds off, in a circle round us. My strength was rapidly leaving me, and I knew that did I once cease splashing, all woiild be over with us. ' My companion was perfectly powerless. Still I continued to splash and kick, and still the voracious monsters continued their circular track, sometimes diving and going under us, to re-appear ou the other side; but the cutter was fast coming up, -and they, suspecting what was the matter, gave way with all their hearts and souls. As she neared us, the bowmen laid their oars in, and began to beat the water with their boat-hooks. This was the last I saw. Nature must have given out, for when I opened my eyes again I was safe in my hammock on board the brig. A good night's rest restored me to myself, but though I have seen many a shark since, I can never look on one without feeling my flesh creep, as it were, on my bones.