"Escape From A Shark." (1829)
Charge bayonets!
The Cherokee Phoenix, and Indians' Advocate (New Echota, Ga), published on August 19, 1829, an amazing story of a woman, who fell off the ship she was sailing on into the ocean and was saved by two daring military men.1
An extraordinary story is told by Captain Wallace, of a lover and his mistress, who were saved in a singular manner from the jaws of a shark. A transport, with part of a regiment on board, was sailing with a gentle breeze along the coast of Ceylon, one of the officers was leaning over the poop railing, conversing with a young lady who had inspired him with the tender passion; the fair one was in her cabin, and in the act of handing a paper to her lover, when overreaching herself, she fell into the sea, and, supported by her clothes, drifted astern; the officer lost not time in plunging in after her and swimming towards her, upheld her with one arm. The sails were quickly backed, the ship lay to, and preparation were making to lower a boat, when to the dismay of all on board, a large shark appeared from under the keel of the vessel, and glided towards his victims; a shout of terror from the agonized spectators called the attention of the officer to the approaching danger; he saw the monster’s fearful length nearing him, he made a desperate effort, plunged and splashed the water so as to frighten the shark, who turned and dived away out of sight; the current had now carried the officer and lady close to the vessel, when the shark appeared a second time alongside, and was in the act of turning on his back to seize one of the hapless pair, when a private of the officer’s company, who was standing in the hammock nettings, jumped fearlessly overboard with a bayonet in his hand, which we plunged into the back of the shark, which instantly disappearing the three were quickly released from their perilous situation.
Cherokee Phoenix, and Indians' Advocate, “Escape from a Shark,” Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. Of Congress, August 19, 1829, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83020874/1829-08-19/ed-1/seq-4/.