14 CRUSOE'S ISLAND. 



the leaves causes the skin to bhster; the fruit is 

 poisonous. 



But they served me well, just the same, know- 

 ing them as I did; and this is how: Over behind 

 the sand bank was a deep pond filled with fish. 

 The fish were fair and tempting, but I had with me 

 no hook nor line. So I carefully cut aw^ay some of 

 the branches with their shining leaves, and cast them 

 into the pool. Soon up came a small fish gasping for 

 breath; then another larger, and another, until the 

 surface was covered, and I had only to wade into the 

 water and throw them out on the sand. 



Although the fish seem to be poisoned, their flesh 

 is not injured, as the sole effect of the manchineel 

 appears to be to deprive the water temporarily of its 

 oxygen, causing the denizens therein to come to the 

 surface to breathe. They must be quickly taken, or 

 they will soon recover and again dive below the sur- 

 face. 



The fun of fishing, as any boy will understand, 

 consists in being able to catch the fish — and plenty 

 of them — without any risk to the fisher. But when 

 the fish turn the tables and undertake to hunt the 

 fisher — that is altogether another matter ! Yet that 

 is what they did to me on one occasion ; and the rec- 

 ollection of the adventure makes me shudder when- 

 ever I think of it. 



It was my custom, every morning, to run down 

 from my hut over the smooth sand into the water, 

 and there paddle about for half an hour or more in 

 perfect ecstasy. I had become so accustomed to 



