FIGHT WITH A SHARK.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1922, Page 9

FIGHT WITH A SHARK.

AN EXTRAORDINARY DUEL. BOY WINS LONG STRUGGLE. Suva, Nov. 11. A remarkable story of a shark f»ht :n these islands where remarkable tales pass as current day gossip, has excited the admiration of the people. The scene of the duel is on the coast of North Taveuni. and the hero was young Gilmour Tavlor, a son of Mr. J. G. Taylor, of Udu Kaeu Estate. This lad is but. 17 years old. but is fond of sport and is a keen and clever exnert at spearing fish. Ho is in the habit of securing the carcase of a dead animal for bait, and his habit is to stand beside the bait and when a shark or big fish comes along tn spear it. On the occasion in question he had anchored the bait right alongside the rooks in about sft. of water, and armed with a heavy spear he waited for his hungry prov to come along for dinner. The tale that follows will bo hard to believe, but its truth is vouched for ny a number of witnesses. A shark came along and the spear was thrown, hut unfortunately the aim was hurried, and it missed a vital part. The shark with spear embedded in its side, began to move off slowly. This was too much for Tavlor. who saw his favorite spear going into the unknown, so ho dived in after the shark, in the hope of rescuing it. On coming up with the shark Taylor caught it by the butt of the 1 ail with his right hand, while ho tried to seize, the spear with his left. The shark like a flash turned, and seized the hoy’s left hand in his teeth, and held on. Just then the spear became detached, and Gilmour shifted his grip and got a hold of the brute round the middle.

The battle became a royal struggle for supremacy. The water was a seething mass of spray. Round and round in the shallow water raged the hoy and huge fish, now on the surface, now hidden in a swirl of foaming water at times slightly tinged with a crimson hue. It is almost incredible that human endurance could stand such a strain. For twentv minutes the struggle continued. until the shore was gained and then Iho young hero collapsed, and as ihe did. ho received a severe blow from the shark’s tail, which rendered him unconscious. Tn this condition the hoy was found by his father, who had been hastily summoned. The lad’s hand was very badly mauled and lacerated, but two Solomon boys seized the shark, so the great fight had not been in vain.

The titanic battle has aroused a great deal of interest, as it is most, unusual for a shark to attack a white person, books and stories to the contrary notwithstanding. Probably if the lad had not tried to seize’ the fish he would never have touched him. However, it was a very plucky action.