C1IAPTER II. 



THE MAHSEER. 



"By sports like these are all their can's beguiled." — 



Goldsmith. 



Of the fish to be oaught in Indian waters the best is, in my opinion, 

 the Mahseer, the best, I mean, as regards sport, and we may as well 

 begin with the best. Its size depends much on the size of tlie 

 river in which it is found, as will be seen in chapter III. 



In my own opinion, and in that of others whom I have met, 

 the Mahseer shows more sport for its size than a salmon. The 

 essence of sport, or in other words of the enjoyment of any pursuit 

 lies, I take it, in the exhibition of superiority therein, whether of 

 skill or courage, not the exihition for others to see, but the difficult 

 attainment of it for our own satisfaction. It would be a tame affair 

 to be pork butcher to a village pig, but to spear the " mighty 

 boar" is quite another thing. Why? Where lies the difference ? 

 Simply in the fact that — 



"Youth's vigour, manhood's fire, 

 Firm hand, and eagle eye, 

 Must lie possess 

 Who would aspire 

 To see the prej boar die." 



Entering more or less into all sports, even into such peaceable 

 pursuits as chess, whist, or billiards, there are a thousand different 

 gradations of " the stern joy which warriors feel in foeman worth] , 

 whether mentally or physically, "of their steel." It is the love of 

 conquest, Whal is wanted is not conquered worlds, but "more 

 " worlds to conquer." Who cares to pull out a dead pike o 

 night line? The pot-hunter, not the sportsman. To battle with 

 a heavy Balmon, or kill a good game troul on a very Light Line, is 

 quite another matter. Prom this point of view it is that I say a 

 Mahseer shows more sport than a salmon. Not that you can kill 



