Shark attacks from the Sydney Gazette
Sydney Gazette
October 1805
A few days ago some people who were at work in North Harbour were suddenly surprised by the shouts of terrible distress vociferated by a native, whom they observed to be paddling for the shore with every exertion of which the human frame can be conceived capable. The author of his terrors was a prodigious shark, which escorted him with voracious attention, and has once more struck the little wretched vehicle that scarcely separated him from his apparently devoted prey. The poor fellow had fortunately been successful in collecting a little pile of fish; and these he one by one administered to the appetite of his pursuer, by which happy artifice he reached the shore at the very instant that his whole stock was expended. He appeared thoroughly sensible of his obligation to the providence that had preserved him, and declared in amazement that ten yards must have sacrificed him.
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July 1806
A Caution to Parents
On Tuesday last a shark of immense size appeared at the Hospital Wharf at high water, and regaled itself upon some pieces of refuse fish that had been thrown in. After making numerous evolutions to the terror of the spectators, who sincerely rejoiced at the same time that no ill fated child had fallen within its merciless grasp, the prodigious monster sheered away unharmed, as no weapon could be procured in time to assault it.
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18 December 1819
From Mr. Cossar we receive an account of the following extraordinary occurrence, the truth of which he solemnly assures us of; and to the lovers of Natural History it will doubtless be acceptable. Mr. C has a farm at the "Long Reef" about ten miles north of the Heads of this harbour, it having a lagoon within 100 yards of the sea beach, as large as Sydney Cove, above a mile round it. The banks of this lagoon,
though several feet above the high water level at spring tides, is forced into a communication with the sea on heavy falls of rain, as it is supplied with fresh water from a rivulet which quickly overflows with a rapid stream sufficient to force away the embankment of the lagoon, which is sandy. The depth of water in the lagoon, which is always more or less salt, never exceeds 6 or 7 feet in the deepest parts, and is some-times one to two-thirds dried up on the margin, which reduces the centre to a mere pool. At a time within the present twelvemonth, when the sea and the lagoon had become united as above remarked upon, a fine water dog was observed to dash into the water, at an erect moving spire, which had the appearance of a shark's back fin, and he was soon perceived to be engaged with this voracious fish; the shark, predominant in his own element, seized the dog by the nose and disappeared with him for a minute. This rencontre was in three feet and a half water; and the master of the dog, overseer to Mr.Cossar, having then a long fowling-piece in his hand, went to the dog's assistsance, and, striking with the butt of the piece, had a furious battle with the shark (which was about 5 feet
long) for some minutes; when the stock flying, he continued his engagement with the barrel, the shark maintaining his ground with vigour, and by an accidental change of position intercepting the man's retreat to the bank. The courage of the dog was useless from his wound, and to go into deeper water would have been doubtless fatal. Another man, the overseer's assistant on the farm, happened fortunately to arrive at this critical instant, and heroically went with a stick to the assistance of his distressed associate; and as the shark had turned to bite at him, he pushed the stick vigorously down his throat, and was himself thrown upon his back by the superior strength,
of the adversary ; which then made off into deeper water, yielding up the triumph to the victors, whose courage we cannot sufficiently applaud. The same dog had previously to the above, taken out of Mr. Ramsay's lagoon, which is very spacious, a large Stinger-ray, which he dragged ashore without receiving the slightest hurt.
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And a final and particularly melancholy one
31 January 1837
At the M'Leay River, on Wednesday evening, the 17th January, Master Alfred Australia Howe, aged 12 years, second son of the late
Robert Howe, Esq., of Sydney. This unfortunate youth whilst washing his feet in shallow water, on the banks of the stream, in charge of a
man servant, was suddenly seized by a large shark, near fifty miles from the harbour, and dragged into the current. The man rushed in and grasping the boy at the hazard of his own life, pulled him out of the monster's month and swam to land, just as the fish pursued them furiously to the shore, The effusion of blood was instantly stopped, but symptoms of mortification exhibiting themselves, the Surgeon in attendance peremptorily ordered a removal to Port Macquarie, for amputation of the limb, but death termnnated his sufferings by locked jaw, in a litter on the road. Eight years ago this unfortunate boy was miraculously saved from a watery grave, at the time his equally unfortunate father was drowned by the upsetting of a boat off Pinchgut. The good qualities and high promise of the youth are justly appreciated by all who knew him ; and time itself can never efface from his unhappy relatives, the dreadtul catastrophe which has deprived a mother of her fondest hope, and two sisters of their dearest brother. He will be removed to Sydney for interment in the vault of his family, so that the bodies of the father and son may mingle in dust together.
October 1805
A few days ago some people who were at work in North Harbour were suddenly surprised by the shouts of terrible distress vociferated by a native, whom they observed to be paddling for the shore with every exertion of which the human frame can be conceived capable. The author of his terrors was a prodigious shark, which escorted him with voracious attention, and has once more struck the little wretched vehicle that scarcely separated him from his apparently devoted prey. The poor fellow had fortunately been successful in collecting a little pile of fish; and these he one by one administered to the appetite of his pursuer, by which happy artifice he reached the shore at the very instant that his whole stock was expended. He appeared thoroughly sensible of his obligation to the providence that had preserved him, and declared in amazement that ten yards must have sacrificed him.
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July 1806
A Caution to Parents
On Tuesday last a shark of immense size appeared at the Hospital Wharf at high water, and regaled itself upon some pieces of refuse fish that had been thrown in. After making numerous evolutions to the terror of the spectators, who sincerely rejoiced at the same time that no ill fated child had fallen within its merciless grasp, the prodigious monster sheered away unharmed, as no weapon could be procured in time to assault it.
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18 December 1819
From Mr. Cossar we receive an account of the following extraordinary occurrence, the truth of which he solemnly assures us of; and to the lovers of Natural History it will doubtless be acceptable. Mr. C has a farm at the "Long Reef" about ten miles north of the Heads of this harbour, it having a lagoon within 100 yards of the sea beach, as large as Sydney Cove, above a mile round it. The banks of this lagoon,
though several feet above the high water level at spring tides, is forced into a communication with the sea on heavy falls of rain, as it is supplied with fresh water from a rivulet which quickly overflows with a rapid stream sufficient to force away the embankment of the lagoon, which is sandy. The depth of water in the lagoon, which is always more or less salt, never exceeds 6 or 7 feet in the deepest parts, and is some-times one to two-thirds dried up on the margin, which reduces the centre to a mere pool. At a time within the present twelvemonth, when the sea and the lagoon had become united as above remarked upon, a fine water dog was observed to dash into the water, at an erect moving spire, which had the appearance of a shark's back fin, and he was soon perceived to be engaged with this voracious fish; the shark, predominant in his own element, seized the dog by the nose and disappeared with him for a minute. This rencontre was in three feet and a half water; and the master of the dog, overseer to Mr.Cossar, having then a long fowling-piece in his hand, went to the dog's assistsance, and, striking with the butt of the piece, had a furious battle with the shark (which was about 5 feet
long) for some minutes; when the stock flying, he continued his engagement with the barrel, the shark maintaining his ground with vigour, and by an accidental change of position intercepting the man's retreat to the bank. The courage of the dog was useless from his wound, and to go into deeper water would have been doubtless fatal. Another man, the overseer's assistant on the farm, happened fortunately to arrive at this critical instant, and heroically went with a stick to the assistance of his distressed associate; and as the shark had turned to bite at him, he pushed the stick vigorously down his throat, and was himself thrown upon his back by the superior strength,
of the adversary ; which then made off into deeper water, yielding up the triumph to the victors, whose courage we cannot sufficiently applaud. The same dog had previously to the above, taken out of Mr. Ramsay's lagoon, which is very spacious, a large Stinger-ray, which he dragged ashore without receiving the slightest hurt.
-----------
And a final and particularly melancholy one
31 January 1837
At the M'Leay River, on Wednesday evening, the 17th January, Master Alfred Australia Howe, aged 12 years, second son of the late
Robert Howe, Esq., of Sydney. This unfortunate youth whilst washing his feet in shallow water, on the banks of the stream, in charge of a
man servant, was suddenly seized by a large shark, near fifty miles from the harbour, and dragged into the current. The man rushed in and grasping the boy at the hazard of his own life, pulled him out of the monster's month and swam to land, just as the fish pursued them furiously to the shore, The effusion of blood was instantly stopped, but symptoms of mortification exhibiting themselves, the Surgeon in attendance peremptorily ordered a removal to Port Macquarie, for amputation of the limb, but death termnnated his sufferings by locked jaw, in a litter on the road. Eight years ago this unfortunate boy was miraculously saved from a watery grave, at the time his equally unfortunate father was drowned by the upsetting of a boat off Pinchgut. The good qualities and high promise of the youth are justly appreciated by all who knew him ; and time itself can never efface from his unhappy relatives, the dreadtul catastrophe which has deprived a mother of her fondest hope, and two sisters of their dearest brother. He will be removed to Sydney for interment in the vault of his family, so that the bodies of the father and son may mingle in dust together.