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Show HIGH, JUMPING SHARKS. Doubts of Sailor Who Says He Knows Something About the Big Flih. You published In your paper on Sat urday a very curious story about A shark Jumping 60 feet high in the Air, writes a correspondent of the South China Post. The writer or author of this story, a captain of a British vessel, bound for 'London, says that he fired a rite shot At a shark and badly wounded it The shark in question Jumped ao high out of the water that he cleared the mainsail with the ease of a seagull. sea-gull. Now, dear air, this It rather a trifle strong. The captain states that they threw some meat overboard to get the sharks closer to the ship. At the moment that the shark made a grab for the meat the captain flred his shot, which shot made the shark Jump 60 feet out of the water. We that have been at sea All know that there Is one kind of shark which lvts to lay on its side before it can grab anything between Ita Jaws, and another kind which has to lay on its back to do so. The 'construction of their mouths compels them to take those attitudes. As a consequence, the ahark In question was either lying on his back or on his side. A fish Jumping out ot the water makes the following movement: The fish stretches his back and bendi himself him-self in the form of a crescent by bringing his head and tall closer to gether. At the moment he wants to lump he straightens his back again and hits the water with-the tall end ot his body. This force produces the power which enables him to jump a certain height. As above stated, the shark, when fired at, was grabbing for the meat, and lying either on his aide or back. .In this position he was notable to jump out ot the sea. Hla movements In this position were limited to three; he could either move ahead, sideways or downward. I will not deny that a shark is able to Jump. I have seen sharks Jumping five feet and six feet high, but that only when they were hunting some victim. The first movement of a shark when wounded Is to dive down ward Into the elements which Is bis natural abode, and not to go and make an airship performance around the mast of a sailing vessel. I know a little about sharks myself, but little as this Is It qualifies me to write. I know what they can do, and I know also how sharks "taste," having hav-ing eaten them, for want of something better. I heard once of an old sailor telling an acquaintance of a shark which, when caught and cut open, had another an-other shark Inside; this shark cut open, produced another shark; and the last shark had in his stomach a canvas bag with 25 sovereigns. I think thnt both stories aro about of the same value concerning truthfulness. |