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Throughout his life, Watson enjoyed telling stories of his horrible encounter with the shark. When he became a baronet in 1803, he even requested that his coat of arms include literal references to the ordeal. The Latin motto Scuto Divino means "under God's protection." Neptune, god of the sea, is shown at the top, holding a trident to repel the attacking shark, and in the upper left corner of the shield is Watson's missing foot. Copyright © National Gallery of Art |