FISHING. 113 



strongest salmon size, while the leaders were made 

 of four ply of ductile brass wire, out of which the 

 temper had been partially removed by heat. Of 

 course I expected to find mammoths of the fish 

 family in these unknown waters, so prepared for 

 all contingencies. After an unusually quiet night, 

 for the majority of the Mantatees, smelling an abun- 

 dance of elephant flesh in prospective, had gone off 

 with Dillon's party, I adjourned to the pool which I 

 have earlier spoken of as being baited to attract fish 

 to its neighbourhood. The water was exactly that 

 colour which the plebeian worm fisherman would 

 select to make a heavy basket of trout on one of 

 Caledonia's streams. Moreover, the flood had sub- 

 sided till the water was within its normal boundaries. 

 For bait, I had fat of giraffes and grasshoppers, 

 fine, lusty fellows, about three inches long. On 

 plumbing the water, I found the depth about four- 

 teen feet. While perfecting my arrangements, 

 Sunday, under direction, distributed a quantity of 

 ground bait, composed of finely-chopped flesh, 

 mixed with clay. That fish were in the vicinity 

 there was no doubt, for they came to the top and 

 fought like savages for any fragments that remained 

 near the surface. The sight was cheering, to say 

 the least of it ; so I contemplated with satisfaction 

 the sport in store for me. 



After these details, and by them it will be seen 

 that I took every necessary step to insure success, 



1 



