ARROW FISHING. 65 



The arrow-fisher prefers a canoe with very little rake, 

 quite flat on the bottom, and not more than fifteen feet 

 long, so as to be quickly turned. Place in this simple 

 craft the simpler paddle, lay beside it the arrow, the 

 bow, the cord, and you have the whole outfit of the ar- 

 row-fisherman. 



To the uninitiated, the guidance of a canoe is a mys- 

 tery. The grown-up man. who first attempts to move on 

 skates over the glassy ice, has a command of his limbs, 

 and a power of locomotion, that the novice in canoe navi- 

 gation has not. Never at rest, it seems to rush from 

 under his feet ; overbalanced by an overdrawn breath, 

 it precipitates its victim into the water. Every efi'ort 

 renders it more and more unmanageable, until it is con- 

 demned as worthless. 



But, let a person accustomed to its movements take 

 it in charge, and it gayly launches into the stream ; 

 whether standing or sitting, the master has it entirely 

 under his control, moving any way with a quickness, a 

 pliability, quite wonderful, forward, sideways, back- 

 wards ; starting off in an instant, or while at the great- 

 est speed, instantly stopping still, and doing all tliis 

 more perfectly, than with any other water-craft of tho 

 world. 



In arrow-fishing, two persons are only employed ; 

 each one has his work designated — " the paddler'' and 

 " bowman. ■ 



Before the start is made, a pcrt'ect luulcrbtanding is 



