142 FISH HARVESTING. 



CHAPTER VI. 



HALIBUT FISHING DOGFISH A TRIP TO FORT RUPERT 



RANSOMING A SLAVE A PROMENADE WITH A REDSKIN BAGGING 

 A CHIEF'S HEAD QUEEN CHARLOTTE'S ISLANDERS AT NANAIMO. 



HALIBUT. The Halibut, a giant amongst flat- 

 fishes, is taken by the Indians on the western 

 side of Vancouver Island ; a veritable ground- 



c 1 



feeder, frequenting deep-sea sandbanks, and de- 

 vouring anything and everything that comes 

 within reach o his terrible mouth. The halibut, 

 at Vancouver Island, attains to an immense size, 

 300 Ibs. being no unfrequent weight. 



The Indians are most skilful in securing this 

 leviathan of the deep, as I had an opportunity 

 of seeing, when visiting the northern end of the 

 island. Picture to yourselves an Indian village, 

 built on a plateau overlooking an open road- 

 stead : a crowd of Indians on the shingly beach, 

 watching the departure of a large canoe, manned 

 by four savages, awaiting my arrival. This being 

 a special occasion, they were more elaborately 



