LASSOOED SHARKS AND HAULED THEM ABOARD THE SHIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18015, 27 November 1926, Page 1

LASSOOED SHARKS AND HAULED THEM ABOARD THE SHIP.

AMAZING FEAT OF SKIPPER RECALLED. (Special to the “ Star.”) RUSSELL (Bay of Islands), Nov. 26. The approach of the big fish season brings to mind a wonderful feat by a sea skipper in 1886. The fore-and-aft topsail schooner Olive, built by Fane and Brown, of Whangaroa, and owned by Macarthur and Co., of Auckland, in command of the late Captain Tow, who was a well-known master mariner, was bound fropi Auckland to Tonga. One morning when the vessel was becalmed the passengers thought they would catch some of the sharks that were swimming around. One of those who threw out a line was the then British Consul for Tonga. The whole morning sharks were lured by every conceivable bait, but refused to bite. Patience was about exhausted when Captain 11. Cook, the present master of the well-known whaler Hananui, who was also a passenger and had looked on the futile efforts with amusement, suddenly exclaimed, “ Why not lassoo them ? ” This query was scorned, but Captain Cook, getting hold of some light line, well greased at the end, soon hauled in first one and then another until his hands became too blistered to continue. The .sharks were about ten feet long. The passengers had looked on with amazement as shark after shark was lassooed. They would never have believed it possible, and soon were keen to emulate the performance.