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(one would have thought) enough to drive one of the Planks through the Deck. The Mate run for a Handſpike and put it into her Mouth, which ſhe chewed to Pieces; but the Carpenter with his broad Axe ſtruck off her Tail, from which the Blood ſprung to an amazing Height: We then cut off her Head, and ripped her up, her Milt filled a Barrel in which we uſed to ſteep our Beef. And looking a⟨t⟩ her Gut Bag, it was ſo big that our Curioſity led us to open it likewiſe; here my Beef was the firſt Thing that preſented me, and it would have been now no longer in my Power to have denied my Error in thus feeding the Shark with the Crews Proviſions. Here was likewiſe a large Hook and Line in it, and a Man's Leg bit off above the Knee: Upon ſeeing this the Men cryed to heave her over Board, which was inſtantly do and not withſtanding her being thus angled ſhe ſwam round the Ship before ſhe went to the Bottom; at the ſame Time her Heart was moving on the Deck, and continued to move ſo after the Body was ſunk. The Negroes came crowding to the Ship on Purpoſe to buy her from us, and would have given us a Piſtole for her, but by this Time ſhe was gone, ſo by this Means we loſt a good Doſe of Rum, and they a Feaſt, for they devour a Shark when catched as greedily as a Shark devours a Man. This Fiſh was about ſixteen Feet long.
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