HALIBUT FISHING. 147 
line by a piece of hemp-cord ; then comes a heavy 
plunge of the sinker, the rattle of the line as it 
runs over the side of the canoe, and—we wait in: 
silence for the expected bite. 
A tug, that came unpleasantly near to upset- 
ting all hands, lets us know that a halibut was 
bolting the tempting morsel, hook and all. <A 
few minutes gave him time fairly to swallow it, 
and now a sudden twick buries the hook deeply 
in the fleshy throat; the huge flatfish finds, to his 
cost, that his dinner is likely seriously to disagree 
with him, whilst in the canoe all hands are in full 
employ. The bowman, kneeling, holds on tightly 
with both hands to the line; the savage next 
him takes one of the long spears, and quickly 
places on the end of it a shorter one, baited 
and bladdered ; the other two paddle warily. 
At first the hooked fish was sulky, and re- 
mained obstinately at the bottom, until continued 
jerks at the line ruffled his temper, and excited 
his curiosity sufficiently to induce a sudden ascent 
to the surface; perhaps to have a peep at his 
persecutors. Awaiting his appearance stood the 
spearman, and when the canoe was sufficiently 
near, in he sent the spear, plucking the long haft 
or handle from the shorter barbed spear, which 
remained in the fish, the bladder, floating like a 
L 2 
