ble and refreshing exercise, in which we often
indulged, notwithstanding the harbor of St. Pierre was an open bay in
a tropical climate; the very place which the shark would be likely to
frequent. It was said, however, that sharks were seldom seen in the
bay, and NEVER among the shipping. This statement was regarded as
a sufficient assurance of safety; and although I retained a vivid
recollection of the dreadful tragedy I had seen enacted a few months
before in Demarara, with all the recklessness or a young sailor I
hesitated not to indulge freely in this pleasant and healthy exercise in
the harbor of St. Pierre.

I was careful, however, to follow the advice of a veteran tar, to KEEP
IN MOTION WHILE IN THE WATER. The shark, unless very ferocious and
hungry, will not attack a man while he is swimming, or performing other
aquatic evolutions. At such times he will remain quiet, close at hand,
eyeing his intended victim with an eager and affectionate look; but the
moment the unsuspecting swimmer throws himself on his back, begins to
tread water, or discontinues the exercise of swimming preparatory to
getting on board, this man-eating rascal will pounce on a leg or an arm,
drag his victim beneath the surface, and accomplish the dreadful work.

After the many unfavorable specimens of "old salts" I had met with, I
was agreeably surprised to find that two of the crew of the John were
educated men. One of these was the son of a wealthy merchant of Boston,
who lived in the style of a prince at the "North End." This young sailor
had been wild and dissipated, and had lost for a time the confidence of
his relatives, and as a matter of course, WENT TO SEA. He made a good
sailor; and while I knew him in St. Pierre, and during the subsequent
years of his life, his conduct was in every way correct. His
conversation was improving, and his chest was well stored with books,
which he cheerfully loaned, and to which I was indebted for many happy
hours.

The other was an Irishman by birth, prematurely aged, of diminutive
stature, and unprepossessing appearance. He had been many years at sea;
had witnessed perilous scenes; had fought for his life with the savages
on board the Atahualpa on "the north-west coast"; had served in an
English man-of-war, from which he escaped by swimming ashore, a distance
of several miles, one night while cruising off the island of Antigua.
He reached the land completely exhausted more dead than alive and
was co