I believe I have now mentioned the principal varieties." "If a man was to fall overboard and a shark was nigh, what would be the best plan to act upon--that is, if there would be any chance of escape from such a brute ?" "The best plan, and I have seen it acted upon with success, is, if you can swim well, to throw yourself on your back and splash as much as you can with your feet, and halloo as loud as you can.

A shark is a cowardly animal, and noise will drive it away.
"When I went out two or three years ago, I had a Newfoundland dog, which was accustomed to leap into the water from almost any height.

I was very partial to him, and you may imagine my annoyance when, one day, as we were becalmed along the Western Islands, and a large shark came up alongside, the dog, at once perceiving it, plunged off the taffrail to seize it, swimming toward the shark, and barking as loud as he could.

I fully expected that the monster would have dispatched him in a moment; but to my surprise the shark was frightened and swam away, followed by the dog, until the boat that was lowered down picked him up." "I don't think the shark could have been very hungry." "Probably not; at all events I should not have liked to have been in Neptune's place.

I think the most peculiar plan of escaping from sharks is that pursued by the Cingalese divers, and often with success." "Tell me, if you please." "The divers who go down for the pearl oysters off Ceylon generally drop from a boat, and descend in ten or twelve fathoms of water before they come to the bed of pearl oysters, which is upon a bank of mud: it often happens that when they are down, the sharks make for them, and I hardly need say that these poor fellows are constantly on the watch, looking in every direction while they are filling their baskets.