FISHES. 35 



in securing the fish, and who, taking them off 

 the barbed point of the spear, passed the stalk 

 of a rush through the gills, in order more con- 

 veniently to carry them home." Such a party 

 is graphically represented in the above engraving, 

 which is a fac-simile of an ancient Egyptian paint- 

 ing. The fisher is spearing the Booltee {Lahrus 

 Niloticus), while other species of the same genus, 

 and a Mormyrus {Scrophicephalus longipinnis^ Sw.) 

 are swimming beneath the boat, the latter easily 

 recognisable by its lengthened snout. 



Among barbarous tribes the fish-spear is a 

 favourite instrument. The North American 

 Indian watches at a hole in the ice, with which 

 the surface of his mighty lakes are covered in 

 autumn, and strikes the fishes that play beneath; 

 or stations himself in summer in a rude frame 

 over some narrow gorge, through which a torrent 

 foams and roars, whence he spears the great lake- 

 trout that are driven down by the rapids. In 

 the South Sea Islands fishing with the barbed 

 spear is a favourite amusement. Before the in- 

 troduction of iron, the implement was made of 

 hard wood ; ten or twelve pointed pieces being 

 fastened to the end of a pole eight feet long ; but 

 now iron heads are usually employed, barbed on 

 one side. With these spears the natives proceed 

 to the reef, and wade into the sea as high as their 

 waists, their feet being defended from the sharp 

 points of the coral, and the spines of the sea- 

 urchins by sandals made of tough bark, twisted 

 into cords. Stationing themselves near an open- 

 ing in the rocks, they watch the motions of the 

 fishes, as they shoot to and fro ; and dart the 

 spear, sometimes with one hand, but more com- 



