SPORTING

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3850, 6 July 1891, Page 3

SPORTING

mUiatftoa Water Mooting

The following acceptances were declared on Friday night for the above meeting which takes place on Saturday next : Trial Steeplechase, two miles.— 'Dangerous and Chrigtmas, lOst 41b; ll Chester and Roger, 10at21b; The! L Monk, lOst; Don and General' ■■Mflflroers and Pirate, 9st 71b. Handicap, one mile and Sentinel, 12st 91b ; list 71b; Master Agnes, ; Couranto, lOst 71b; 6d; Whalebone, lOst lOst; Oaklands, 9st Theorem, Newmarket 9st. two miles (on tbe d'Eau, 12st 121b; Norton, Agnes, list 101b; list 21b ; Waihi, list; Pirate, lOst 121b; Handicap, ; Oceola. lOst 101b; lOst 71b; Darnley, lOst and Oeo, lOst; Dangerous, Christmas, and Otaieri, 9st 101b ; Rough, and Roger, 9st 81b; Gordon and Canute, 9st 71b. Handicap, one mile BHnt quarter (on the flat).—Angler, HUSrt; Lenore and Pyramus, list 71b; HRo6& Bpnheur, lOst 121b; Hiamoe, HESb Laird, Waihi, and Rufus, lOst ■|P> 1 Hukatere. lOst 61b; Blenheim, ■rlOstUb; Blue Mountain, lOst. ■f&The following entries were re■weired : Hurdle Race, one mile and Moore's Clyde (£80), list B. Wilh'amson'B Begorrah ; W. B. Buick's Play Bollo's New-

thrilling experience ltas Wednesday. The Assyrians follow the occupation of diving in a manner somewhat similar to that of the Native pearl divers at Ceylon, simply descending into the water with a weighted line attached to their waists. They have an extraordinary facility for remaining under the water without breathing for several minutes. As soon as they are lowered into the water they make the most of their tirue,attach goods within reach to a rope fastened to the boat above them. The divers, as a rule, are enabled to get a pretty good idea of what is on the sand in the comparatively shallow water by looking through a glass-bottomed tub laid on the surface of the water. Five Assyrians have beeu employed at the wreck for several weeks past by the purchasers of the vessel, and until the last few days had not been troubled with sharks. Latterly, TioWßver, they have been obliged to exercise unusual care owing to the frequent visits of small representatives of the dangerous fish referred to, especially in view of the fact that they do their work of diving in a state of nudity, and are thus utterly defeuceless against any attack from these voracious monsters. On Wednesday afternoon, as Tatooski was below the water, and in the act of fastening a cord around some wreckage, he was attacked by a good sized shark, about 7ft in length. He made an unsuccessful effort to frighten off the alarming visitor, and then, as his only chanc3 to escape with life, struck out at the fish, and, he alleges, caught its gills firmly with both hands. A desperate struggle.took place, aud, noticing tiie commotion going on below, the diver's companions in the boat hauled away at the line, and pulled the man and the shark to the surface. The shark was despatched with a blow from an axe, and the diver, much lacerated and completely exhausted, was nulled into the boat and taken ashore.