FISHING WITH DYNAMITE 155 



eating. Of all the inhabitants of La Prision I should say 

 that there was only one man who was a born hunter, and 

 he was the only one who owned a shot-gun and dogs, 

 fie was a powerful, middle-aged mulatto named Luis 

 Urbana. To what breed his two dogs belonged remained 

 a mystery which we never succeeded in solving. But 

 whatever may have been their origin, he was proud of 

 them, his conversation consisting exclusively of stories 

 exhibiting the sagacity and courage of Meoro and 

 Cazador, these being the names he had bestowed on" the 

 half-starved quadrupeds who accompanied him in his 

 wanderings. He was also the only man I ever saw 

 during my stay at the settlement fish with a hook and 

 line in true sportsmanlike fashion ; the fishing which the 

 others engaged in being of a rather indirect character. 

 Sometimes during the creciente or rising of the Caura, 

 shoals of fish ascend the creek on which is ' The Port,' as 

 the people call the landing-place. No sooner does this 

 welcome news reach the houses than there is a general 

 rush for the stream, Medina, who always has d3Tiamite 

 cartridges ready for such a contingency, being usually 

 the first to arrive at the ' The Port.' A cartridge is 

 lighted and thrown into the water; then another and 

 another. The ground vibrates with the explosions. The 

 men rush to the boats, shouting and gesticulating. They 

 paddle wildly about, catching the stunned fish by their 

 tails as they come to the surface and throwing them into 

 the boats or on shore ; but, after all, they secure but a 

 small portion of the victims. For days after dead fish 

 may be seen floating on the waters, and the destruction 

 of the smaller fry is simply appalling. Fishing with 

 dynamite as practised at La Prision is exciting work, 

 not devoid of danger, as some of us experienced on one 



