of sheepshead came along,
of which we got a dozen. After these we found bass, of which we took
eight, weighing from six to ten pounds each; also three fine groupers,
the largest twelve pounds. Pecetti caught a Tartar in the shape of
a monstrous sting-ray, four feet across, with a tail three feet long
armed with formidable spines. This creature lives on the bottom, his
food being chiefly mollusks and crustaceae, for the disposal of which
he has a huge mouth with a pavement of flat enameled teeth. He lies
usually half buried in the sand, and is much dreaded by the fishermen,
who are in danger of treading on him as they wade to cast their nets.
In that case he strikes quick blows with his whiplike tail, the jagged
spines of which make very dangerous wounds, apt to produce lockjaw.

After much difficulty our boatman got the ray alongside the boat with
his gaff-hook, and gave it a few deep cuts in the region of the heart
with a large knife. The blood spurted out in big jets, as from the
strokes of a pump, which soon exhausted its strength, and Pecetti
dragged it ashore and cut off its tail for a trophy. As the creature
was dying it ejected from its stomach a quart or more of small
bivalves, which must have been recently swallowed.

"That makes the best bait for sharks," said Pecetti: "I always bait
with sting-ray when I can get it."

As the rays and sharks both belong to the order of placoids, it
appears that the shark is not particular about preying on his kindred.

"Are sharks plenty here?" I inquired.

"Indeed they are!" said Pecetti: "I wonder we have not had our lines
cut by them. I have caught half a dozen in an hour's time right here.
I think I can show you one very quick." He went ashore and launched
the ray's carcass down the current. It floated slowly away, but had
not gone fifty yards when it was seized by a shark, which tugged and
tore at it, till directly a second and a third arrived and struggled
furiously for it, lashing the water into foam with their tails.
Presently more came up, till there were five or six of the monsters
all fighting for the prey, which they soon devoured. "There, you see
how soon they smelt the blood. What you think of sharks, now?"

"I think," said I, "that this is not exactly the place to bathe in."

The tide being now well on the ebb, the fish stopped biting, perhaps
driven away by the sharks, and we sailed down to the inlet, where
there is a long sandy beach fringed with mangro