Page:The History and Travels of Hector Maclean, Late Sailor.pdf/14

 the whole Crew, (being twenty five Men) for Dinner and Supper, and when I went to draw it up, in order to boil it, to my great Surprize it was taken away: I went down again to the Barrel unknown to the Mate, let he hould be angry, as perhaps thinking I had not properly fatened it in the Rope what I got lat; o I brought up uch another large Piece, and hung it over, fatened as formerly, but it was no ooner out than it was likewie taken off, upon which I told the Carpenter The whole Affair, begging his Advice and Aitance, as the Los of o much Beef was owing to my own Lazines in not drawing up Water for frehning it, as it was ordered, he immediately undertood the Robber of my Beef to be a Shark, and ordered me down for a Shark Hook that was below under his Bed, which was fatened to a Chain and Swivel, the Fore-top-ail being down on the Cap drying, and the Halliards lying looe on the Deck. He fatened the Halliards to the Chain, and baited the Hook with a Lump of Beef, and hove it overboard, and intantly the Top-ail went aloft fater than tho' twenty Men had been hoiting, till it was quite chock to the Block. The Men turning round with Surprize, eeing the Top-ail going up without knowing by what Means; but eeing the Halliards tretching out from the Ship, then they cry'd A Shark, a Shark is fat. Upon which the Carpenter and the Ret got hold of the Rope, but were not able to bring her in; o we went down in the Boat, and made a bowling Knot with another Rope about her middle, then hooked the bitten Tackle to it, and o hoited the Shark upon Deck; where the Strokes he gave with her Tail, was