﻿[9] 
  THE 
  GULF 
  FISHING 
  GROUNDS 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  225 
  

  

  natural 
  result 
  was 
  that 
  the 
  catch 
  was 
  always 
  small, 
  though, 
  of 
  course, 
  

   large/ 
  than 
  on 
  the 
  smooth 
  beaches. 
  

  

  Many 
  of 
  the 
  less 
  predaceous 
  species 
  of 
  fish 
  that 
  frequent 
  the 
  inshore 
  

   waters 
  about 
  Cozumel 
  evidently 
  are 
  as 
  inuch 
  in 
  need 
  of 
  meaus 
  of 
  con- 
  

   cealment 
  from 
  their 
  enemies 
  as 
  they 
  arc 
  of 
  food 
  to 
  enable 
  them 
  to 
  avert 
  

   destruction. 
  Fortunately, 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  are 
  mostly 
  formed 
  of 
  

   coral, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  ceaseless 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  waves 
  have 
  worn 
  innumerable 
  

   fissures 
  and 
  submarine 
  caves, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  easy 
  for 
  a 
  fish 
  to 
  hide 
  so 
  

   as 
  to 
  escape 
  the 
  observation 
  of 
  his 
  enemies; 
  and 
  as 
  such 
  localities 
  

   also 
  furnish 
  a 
  large 
  amount 
  of 
  food 
  suitable 
  to 
  the 
  species 
  found 
  there, 
  

   it 
  is 
  not 
  at 
  all 
  surprising 
  that 
  they 
  should 
  be 
  more 
  abundant 
  there 
  thau 
  

   elsewhere. 
  It 
  was 
  often 
  interesting 
  and 
  instructive 
  to 
  note 
  the 
  extreme 
  

   timidity 
  of 
  these, 
  hiders, 
  and 
  their 
  remarkable 
  dexterity 
  in 
  concealing 
  

   themselves. 
  If 
  one 
  stepped 
  suddenly 
  out 
  on 
  a 
  projecting 
  point 
  of 
  the 
  

   craggy 
  coral 
  shore, 
  particularly 
  if 
  he 
  made 
  much 
  noise, 
  the 
  chances 
  

   were 
  that 
  he, 
  saw 
  not 
  a 
  single 
  fish 
  ; 
  or 
  possibly 
  he 
  might 
  catch 
  a 
  glimpse 
  

   <>t 
  blue 
  or 
  yellow, 
  or 
  several 
  colors 
  combined, 
  disappearing 
  like 
  a 
  flash 
  — 
  

   so 
  suddenly, 
  perhaps, 
  as 
  to 
  leave 
  him 
  in 
  doubt 
  as 
  to 
  whether 
  or 
  not 
  his 
  

   eyes 
  had 
  deceived 
  him. 
  But 
  let 
  one 
  sit 
  quietly 
  down 
  and 
  keep 
  per- 
  

   fectly 
  still, 
  near 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  rocks, 
  where 
  they 
  go 
  straight 
  down 
  10 
  

   or 
  15 
  feet 
  to 
  the 
  bottom, 
  or 
  are 
  hollowed 
  out 
  into 
  cavernous 
  openings 
  

   beneath, 
  and 
  he 
  will 
  not 
  wait 
  long 
  before 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  he 
  may 
  sec, 
  

   moving 
  cautiously 
  out 
  from 
  the 
  rocky 
  fissures 
  in 
  the 
  clear 
  depths 
  below, 
  

   curious 
  little 
  heads 
  from 
  which 
  bright 
  eyes 
  are 
  peering 
  forth 
  to 
  seek 
  

   the 
  cause 
  of 
  alarm 
  or 
  ascertain 
  if 
  the 
  coast 
  is 
  clear. 
  Reassured 
  at 
  last, 
  

   they 
  move 
  slowly 
  out 
  from 
  their 
  hiding 
  places, 
  and 
  off 
  a 
  little 
  way 
  

   among 
  the 
  madrepores, 
  sponges, 
  &c, 
  that 
  one 
  can 
  see 
  on 
  the 
  bottom 
  

   at 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  surf. 
  Eadiant 
  in 
  their 
  many-tinted 
  irides- 
  

   cent 
  hues 
  — 
  blue, 
  yellow, 
  black, 
  silver, 
  and 
  red, 
  varying, 
  of 
  course, 
  with 
  

   different 
  species, 
  these 
  fishes 
  may 
  be 
  easily 
  observed 
  so 
  long 
  as 
  one 
  

   chooses 
  to 
  sit 
  perfectly 
  still; 
  but 
  the 
  instant 
  one 
  makes 
  a 
  motion, 
  or 
  a 
  

   dip-net 
  is 
  thrust 
  into 
  the 
  water, 
  the, 
  alarm 
  is 
  taken, 
  and 
  all 
  scurry 
  away 
  

   for 
  their 
  hiding 
  places, 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  lost 
  to 
  sight 
  in 
  a 
  moment. 
  

  

  Some 
  5 
  or 
  G 
  miles 
  southward 
  from 
  San 
  Miguel 
  was 
  a 
  little 
  estuary 
  with 
  

   deep 
  water, 
  a 
  narrow 
  entrance, 
  and 
  several 
  branches 
  or.arms. 
  This 
  we 
  

   visited 
  one 
  day 
  in 
  the 
  steam 
  launch, 
  and 
  as 
  many 
  kinds 
  of 
  fish 
  could 
  be 
  

   seen, 
  I 
  conceived 
  the 
  idea 
  that 
  perhaps 
  they 
  might 
  be 
  caught 
  by 
  setting 
  

   a 
  gill-net 
  across 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  branches, 
  and 
  then, 
  by 
  splash- 
  

   ing 
  and 
  making 
  a 
  noise, 
  so 
  frighten 
  the 
  fish 
  that 
  they 
  would 
  run 
  into 
  

   the 
  net. 
  This 
  we 
  tried 
  on 
  a 
  subsequent 
  occasion, 
  but 
  our 
  success 
  was 
  

   limited 
  to 
  the 
  capture 
  of 
  two 
  individuals. 
  There 
  was 
  no 
  doubt 
  but 
  

   that 
  we 
  frightened 
  the 
  fish 
  badly 
  enough, 
  but 
  their 
  habits 
  of 
  hiding 
  

   under 
  rocks 
  proved 
  too 
  much 
  for 
  us, 
  and 
  despite 
  our 
  utmost 
  endeavors 
  

   to 
  drive 
  them 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  branch, 
  and 
  thus 
  into 
  the, 
  net, 
  they 
  invariably 
  

   succeeded 
  in 
  escaping 
  to 
  their 
  favorite 
  retreats 
  with 
  the 
  two 
  exceptions 
  

  

  above 
  alluded 
  to. 
  The 
  most 
  careful 
  attempt 
  to 
  catch 
  them 
  in 
  a 
  dip-net 
  

   S. 
  Mis. 
  70 
  15 
  

  

  