[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, leſt he ſhould be angry, as perhaps thinking I had not properly faſtened it in the Rope what I got laſt; ſo I brought up ſuch another large Piece, and hung it over, faſtened as formerly, but it was no ſooner out than it was likewiſe taken off, upon which I told the Carpenter The whole Affair, begging his Advice and Aſſiſtance, as the Loſs of ſo much Beef was owing to my own Lazineſs in not drawing up Water for freſhning it, as it was ordered, he immediately underſtood 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 faſtened to a Chain and Swivel, the Fore-top-ſail being down on the Cap drying, and the Halliards lying looſe on the Deck. He faſtened the Halliards to the Chain, and baited the Hook with a Lump of Beef, and hove it overboard, and inſtantly the Top-ſail went aloft faſter than tho' twenty Men had been hoiſting, till it was quite chock to the Block. The Men turning round with Surprize, ſeeing the Top-ſail going up without knowing by what Means; but ſeeing the Halliards ſtretching out from the Ship, then they cry'd A Shark, a Shark is faſt. Upon which the Carpenter and the Reſt got hold of the Rope, but were not able to bring her in; ſo 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 ſo hoiſted the Shark upon Deck; where the Strokes ſhe gave with her Tail, was(one
