bow of the vessel: and, having been broken by the shock, it was with great
difficulty extracted. It measured seven feet; about one foot of it, the
part attached to the head, was hollow, and the size of my wrist; the
remainder was solid, and very heavy, being indeed the exquisite ivory of
which the eastern people manufacture their beautiful chess-men. But to
return to our sea-combat, which continued a long time, the shark evidently
getting worsted. Possibly the bottom, which was clear, was favourable for
his enemy; whose blow, if he succeeds in striking while the shark is
descending, is fatal. I think he had struck him, for the blue shark is
seldom seen in shoal or discoloured water; yet now he floundered on
towards the bottom of the bay, madly lashing the water into foam, and
rolling and pitching like a vessel dismasted. For a few minutes his
conqueror pursued him, then wheeled round and disappeared; while the shark
grounded himself on the sand, where he lay writhing and lashing the shore
feebly with his tail. His six companions, with seeming unconcern, wore
round, and slowly moving down the bay, returned by the outlet at which
they had entered. Hastening down to the scene of action, I saw no more of
them. My boat's crew were assembled at the bottom of the bay, firing
muskets at the huge monster as he lay aground; before I could join them,
he was despatched, and his dead carcass laid on the beach like a stranded
vessel. Leaving him and them, I ran along the beach for half a mile to
regain Zela's tent."

* * * * *



RETROSPECTIVE GLEANINGS.

WITCHES.