Sharks visit Euterpe

Sunday Octr 12.



The calm has continued all day, I should hardly think we have gone a mile. We all attended Captains service on the poop this morning; and this aft’noon there has been great excitement about some sharks which are about. One 8 or 9 ft long old fellow has been round & round the ship all the aft’noon. The sailors have baited hooks with pork which he has come & taken and then when he has been pulled half way up (clean out of the water) the hooks have slipped & down he has flopped again taking the meat with him. During tea we heard a great row & news was brought that one was caught and we rushed up and forward on to the Foc’sle but found he was off again or rather they were, for two were hooked and being hauled up at the same time. We have had our port hole open all day, the first time since we left the Downs. We are very short of bread again, 1 small round each for the boys & 1-1/2 for adults is all we have had for tea. We do not get anymore until Tuesday & have only about 3 lbs for 10 of us for all day tomorrow. Since tea Johnson a Swedish sailor has caught one of the sharks from off the Foc’sle top, every body rushes to see it and there was such excitement, it lay on the deck wriggling about & striking & everybody’s legs were in danger until its tail was chopped off. They have since thrown it overboard, because, as I am told, the passengers crowded on them that they could not disect it properly & besides its flesh would have been dreadfully offensive by morning, We have had the most beautiful sunset tonight I every [sic] saw, or saw depicted by artist. The sea was like a sheet of yellowish gold with shades of purple and one bright line of glorious fire right from your eye along to the setting sun, the sky having corresponding lines. I sat entranced on the bulwarks of the ship until the sun sank clean into the water and the cold grey of evening replaced the sunset tints. It was a glorious sight.