FISH SPEARING BY TORCHLIGHT 97 



to catch moths and many other insects is by means of a 

 light, the brighter the better. Many years ago I used to 

 take great pleasure in accompanying some fishermen who 

 were engaged in the catching of a species of large mullet 

 known to the natives of Trinidad under the name of 

 Uhranclie. This fish is usually caught by spreading nets 

 at high tide in certain places along the mangrove swamps 

 which line the coast of the island between the towns of 

 Port of Spain and San Fernando. With high water 

 the fish ascend the small channels and wander about 

 amongst the flooded roots of the mangroves, where they 

 find abundance of food. With the fall of the tide, on 

 their return to the sea, they get entangled in the nets set 

 in favourite spots, and thus fall victims to the fisher- 

 men's knowledge of their habits. I have referred to this 

 method of catching large mullet or Uhranclie because 

 it would be misleading to describe the fishing by night 

 only ; this latter operation, although affording much sport, 

 being not nearly so remunerative as netting. A dark 

 night in the dry season is the time to go on a mullet- 

 spearing expedition with every chance of success. Har- 

 poons and torches are the implements used. Of the men, 

 two to each boat, one paddles and steers at the same 

 time, the other stands in the bow holding a torch aloft in 

 one hand and his harpoon by the shaft in the other. 

 With the rising tide the boats ascend the creeks, to return 

 when the tide changes. The light appears to have the 

 same .effect on the mullet as on the alligators, the fisher- 

 men being able to get so close to them that they can be 

 spearQd without difficulty. During my first visit to the 

 Caura in 1897, I observed that the Indians use torches 

 when they go after curassows before daybreak. So that, 

 in introducing here the subject of hunting and fishing by 



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