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Beyond Penn's Treaty

Travels in Some Parts of North America

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The voracious shark also had his enemies; for
the sailors by throwing out pieces of meat, enticed
him to come so near the ship, that one of the com-
pany who stood upon the main-chains had an op-
portunity of casting the noose of a strong rope over
his head; and the other end of the rope being
passed through a block, he was quickly hoisted upon
deck, where he lay some time striking the boards
with his tail with great violence. It was curious to
see the agitation of the little pilot fishes, which
accompanied the shark; and when he was dragged
out of the water, they seemed to use their best
endeavours to follow him.

The pilot fish is something like the mackerel;
but of a smaller size. On the shark's being thrown
upon the deck, several sucking fish fell from him
about 8 or 10 inches in length. These fishes, I
should suppose, are a considerable annoyance to the
shark, sticking close to various parts of his body
like a leech. The Captain not being willing that he
should he killed, on account of the dirt and disagree-
able smell that he would make; and the sailors not
being willing that he should escape punishment,
wantonly tied a piece of wood about the size of a
common oar to his tail, and then hoisted him again
and let him into the sea. Notwithstanding he had
been out of the water more than a quarter of an
hour, the moment he reached the sea, he dived
into the deep with the incumbrance at his tail,