cies of sharks, and giving it a truly
terrifying and horrible appearance. Presently a couple of natives,
taking careful aim, fired at the creature's head; in an instant it
darted off with extraordinary velocity, rushing through the water like a
submerged comet--if I may use the illustration. Both of the men who had
fired were confident their bullets had struck and badly wounded the
shark, but were greatly disgusted when, ten minutes later, it again
appeared, swimming leisurely about, at ten fathoms from the beach.

Three days later, as we were returning to Apia, we were told by our
native friends that the shark still haunted the mouth of the Vaivasa;
and I determined to capture it. I sent Allan on board the cutter for our
one shark hook--a hook which had done much execution among the sea
prowlers. Although not of the largest size, being only ten inches in the
shank, it was made of splendid steel, and we had frequently caught
fifteen-feet sharks with it at sea. It was a cherished possession with
us and we always kept it--and the four feet of chain to which it was
attached--bright and clean.

In the evening Allan returned, accompanied by the local pilot (a Captain
Hamilton) and the fat, puffing, master of a German barque. They wanted
"to see the fun." We soon had everything in readiness; the hook, baited
with the belly-portion of a freshly-killed pig (which the Manono people
had commandeered from a bush village) was buoyed to piece of light _pua_
wood to keep it from sinking, and then with twenty fathoms of brand-new
whale line attached, we let it drift out into the centre of the passage.
Then making our end of the line fast to the trunk of a coconut tree, we
set some children to watch, and went into the trenches to drink some
kava, smoke, and gossip.

We had not long to wait--barely half an hour--when we heard a warning
yell from the watchers. The _ta~nifa_ was in sight.

Jumping up and tumbling over each other in our eagerness we rushed out;
but alas! too late for the shark; for instead of approaching in its
usual leisurely manner, it made a straight dart at the bait, and before
we could free our end of the line it was as taut as an iron bar, and the
creature, with the hook firmly fastened in his jaw, was ploughing the
water into foam, amid yells of excitement from the natives. Then
suddenly the line fell slack, and the half-a-dozen men who were holding
it went over on their backs, heels up.

In mournful silence we