Chapt. hi. ' lours of MahMtr, 23 



verj far from easy. Thia is what I have essayed to do. I did 

 Dot care to present m - with the oorpse-like colouring of 

 dead and dying fish. 1 wanted the resplendent hues of healthy 

 living fish as nature paints them when rejoicing in their element. 

 How did I essaj it ' I took an artist with me to the water's 

 edge Fie had ready rough drawings of fish in any number, and 

 his i'm], mis, brushes, *\ •■■.. were handy. The moment 1 landed a 

 Gsh he hit the colours, and roughly and rapidly filled them in. 1 

 did the same by his side. We compared aotes. We were con- 

 is that change had been going on as we coloured, 1 that 



it was hard to Bay wherein the earliest and wherein the later 

 colours had been correctly seized. So another fish was caught, 

 ami the colours of the painting compared with it the instant it 

 w.is on shore. Necessary corrections having been made, another 

 was captured, and yet another, and these all had to be captured 

 at a season i f the year in which the fish were in high condition, 

 with a healthy colour. The result is that 1 have colouring which 

 some have told me must surely he too bright, whereas I affirm 

 that the failure is rather in the opposite direction. I cannot get 

 sufficient resplendency. I cannot add t<> caeh eolour the look of 

 burnished metal. I cannot give the changing reflections of each 

 angle of light on the glistening coloured scales, the varying hues 

 of semi-transparent tins showing differently with a dark or a light- 

 background. Enough that I have done my little best to help my 

 leaders to recognize our mutual friends of whom we chat together, 

 and that, where I had not the means of making even such a remote 

 approach to a just representation of my beauties, 1 have preferred 

 leaving the drawings uncoloured. 



Kei ii fishermen will understand that it is no easy matter 

 tn lay down the red and take up the brush when the tish are on 

 the run. There are times when it could not be done at any price, 

 no not for an annual gold mine. There are times, too, when 

 appliances are wanting. Hence it is that some fish are left un- 

 coloured. Friends have engaged to colour fish for me in places 

 inaccessible to myself, and finding the same difficulties have aban- 

 doned the attempt, others have most kindly supplied paint- 

 which unfortunately could not be accepted For want of 

 ai curacy. 



The Mahseer having been more fished foi in Bengal than any- 



