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SHARKIJSG'OJM THE TAMA.B,
- Accompanied ? by a Victorian friend, n
true disciplo of Isaao Walton (I wonderif
the gentle Isaac ever went sharking), and
'like Jonah a terrible fellow for. tish,'.'
having, a splendid boat and good crew at
our command, we arranged an expedition
to proceed to a place noted in tho ntinals
of sburkiner as tho haunts of iho bluo and
white species. . Accordingly at' 11 p.m.
we essayed a. start, but a shower coining
on frustrated our. intention, and caused us
to rotreat into,.tho,house.MThis movement
was repeated : several - times, but at
length a cessation in. the rain, and a
flight, gleam of .stirlight ' towards' the:
north -west, determined us to go,'.come
what' might. ^Tho order being' given' our
trusty ? crew ; dipped their bars simulta
neously, .and off we went.- What? we
fondly -imagined . would turn out: a fine
night,- proved , the reverse/ for; whenoff
Middle/Island, about, 2 a;m., down came
the rain -in torrents,; arid .what : with'
flashes of .lightning;' :penls'''6t.thaader) -the ?
intense darkness of- the night,- and the
liowlingof thewind, whibhssoemed:to-'be:
increasing, ; rendered , the ? trip anything
but agreeable.-- However; rweipulled on
to an old but watertight i boatahed .that'
wo knew of upon the shore,' and right
tlad were Vwe to avail ourselvis, 'of -its'-
friendly. shelter,- where : lighting, s. fire',
we warmed i ourselves ;aDd dried1 our
'garments, clinging ; i like, cerements.'
Towards day light, the weather moderating,
we set out for the' scene. -o( action
—Middle Aim— at the head of which
stands the works of the Hematite iron
Company, deserted, desolate, and dull,
suggestive of the much-lauded energy and
enterprise of the Victorians in contra-
distinction to and at the expense of the
Tasmanians ! Why those works should
be allowed to go to "wreck and ruin"
after so large an expenditure of capital,
and with an inexhaustible supply
of ore, remains a mystery to all
but the initiated. But to proceed, after
repeated soundings and vain attempts to
find our old bearings; nhot having 'been
there for some considerable time, and the
landmarks.having;been removed, wo cast
anchor in .about.4i.to 6 fathoms of. .water,''
opposite a liut formerly' .occupied '-by' an
old pensioner' or veteran named Currie,
who liad fought on. bparcl the Bellerbphon
or Billy ,'RulIianj as , tho fine- old fellow
used to call it. 'Ho woulcT often beguile
; the -weary hours while waiting for a bite,
i by :hot : shouldering his ' crutch,-: &o\ ; ' biit
graphically, describing lio\V[he stood to liis
jgun - while-, his v -comrades ? were falling
'arou'nd..!/;He died in the Laun'cestbn ;.
Hospital about three years ago ' upwards
.of 90 years.of age. i'- ? , ''
. A polcgisihg for these disgressioris, we
will; proceed; ; to describe the * m'echis
dpemridioi shark catching, for the benefit
of 'those of your readers ?; who : niay be
'.ignorant of,;/: the process.: '? -The '} hooks'
empipyeaxonsisc oi-wiree or1 lour- very
large, iron ones, attached^to about ticoujile
of yards of =chairi. makle -fast ; to 30 ' or' 40
^ards .'of;: half: inch line,-- baited-'' with
stingray and thrown out- some distance,
the boat end being' looped -throughi'- tlie '
skirting,''.so,iliat. the: moment the shark
tpuches.the bait the -line /runs 'but.' ? We
hjid our lines down bare ; twenty' miinttes'
.;.w!hen.;v 'whir'/ ; went theilbow'linej but
j'unf OEtunafely. i lie got off.' : 'lit ' ^about ? ten ?
minutes imore however, he'ovas -f ast. ' N o. -
1| a' white- shark-.closeiupon; ' 12 feet long '
and about 7ifeet in girthv ? ?,'(Nb':V1-2? idfioi iv
white onej.:lO'.feeti (.6 inches.-: '? Np1.1^- a';
blue sharlci.dO feet. i;'/Np.: -4 ditto,-'8 ^fee't,1;
and No.ii1', 5, 7r;feet ?6 inches; all1 ' caught
within) three hours;; Tms number couldf
easily have; been doubled, 1 but' urifortuii'
ately: our.liarpoonj'came itd; grieJi'striking
No. 1,. forho'bent it nearly 'ln'twoj; render-'
ing it \iseless'.-.v Accordingly, we had to wait*
for a. favorable opportunity; ito strike'
thenir a;blow.;on the t.ndsey'i which;.'; killsf
thomiHalmosS.'iinstaritlyi1 the = extreme Jtip
of the ; nose being a peculiarly' vulnerable '
part. This, however, is not accoraplishedyi
as may ,bA;well:im-gined,',withr6ut;vi6lent1
struggling?- d.uring:iwhichrlievoontrives; to
use; his.itailisb /effectually ;as'' to' almost ?
dcluue one; withVwater.'. whileia- blow frbm!
it would/bo i4;nio8t.iserious'-contre'te'n)p!'T
The white shar.k 'isthe Imostiforinidable:
of the speciesithat; frequent, .the; Tamarji
and .nothing- -./can be; .conceived ?more
terrible, .than/. this.- fish' -when ;h'e;^app'ears-
with iippenj jaws}-;' displaying!, five'- or'\is
rovrsl.pf-ihardl shdrp-ppinte'd,:utr'.iangular'
tooth ',/v glaring! eyes,- uandv;bristling-- fir s
as be makes :a;iightning-lik&idash ;at.'.tjiei
bu.it v'fjhis spprt;Of;sharking,',; though-. in-'
^cpselyj;. excitingi .during t _tlie-: i-'day,!1. is'-
,render.6d iiipre/so in,/th'et:daVkrtess;)of^the:
night, ,,wLi'.e.: .'theiwind Thowls hidndiJ the
water.is laslipdinto foiam;and;made!ip_hos.';
phorescentjby the action'oP.. the ihfiiriuted:i
crpatures!ita]ls,-ir The-, time drawibigjJnedr'
fop us.'-.tp ? return :homeii;iwer:fookioutvthe.
liverBL;.wIiick'^.ie.lded;.'-iwelVi£^'all'oh%.'.of:
r oil,, and /w.hichi.werejtbo^ mpstim'agnifibenti
,we had ever seen.inouR.experiorioe^TOhich':
may be said toextend. over'/ .t wen ty!.yearsjTfi
,such jsuccess -attendBr'a; fewMamateurs,'
surely it -is reasonable -to' j cphcladeiihatV-ai;
few .:Stron~gV.',ab'lejbbdi«&nibn'- iwith'good'
fioats and w.cll equipped,, would reap- a
golden,}iarvest.during tho season. .' The'
oil obtained is of 'superior iqualily,'. and if
'clarified, would -be 'Well suited -.to
machinery, i,- . ?'„'- ?*--?„, .- '.;,''-
, Trusting I have not, trespassed -;- too1
.much on your valuable^ pace. I. ,.: 'i.m . \
Wx i '.j - -ji. ? ' . ' BOATH0OK.10
$