It seems that the butcher had killed a sheep, whose entrails, having been thrown overboard, attracted these fearful brutes round the ship in great numbers.

As may be imagined, this report created a real panic among the painters, for I believe we all feared a shark more than an enemy armed to the teeth.

I at once made a hurried movement to get off my plank.

As I did so the rope at one end slipped off, and so threw the piece of wood, to which I had to hang as on a rope, up and down the vessel's side, bringing my feet to within a very few inches of the water.

On looking downwards I saw a great shark in the water, almost within snapping distance of my legs.