130 Tht Carnatic Carp. Chapt. x. 



eventually finding your way to the bottom of the river. You can 

 obviate all this, and make yourself thoroughly comfortable for 

 about 8 annas, say, Is. Get a bamboo basket, made much the 

 shape of the ordinary basket, that is the shape of half .an egg, only 

 have it made much stronger than is usual, strong enough to bear 

 your weight, whatever that may be, and have it made so deep that 

 when turned bottom upwards it will be within an inch of the 

 height of the seat of a chair. On this bottom you are to sit ; there- 

 fore cover it with stuffed leather. A cushion would slip and 

 trouble you at critical moments, therefore sew the rough leather 

 on to the basket, with a little stuffing under it. This turned 

 mouth downwards in the boat will give you a comfortable, 

 steady seat. Add a slit in one side of your basket seat, and 

 you can then put your fish under you, and have them stowed 

 away out of the sun, and out of the way of your feet, otherwise 

 you may well have the boat so full of fish that you cannot move 

 your feet without treading on and mashing a fish. I add also 

 a basket-work door to the slit, working on a hinge, and fastening 

 with a peg and eye. This keeps the fish in, and enables you to use 

 your chair as a basket when out of the water, and wanting to carry 

 your fish. It comes in handy, then, for you have no one but your 

 boatman with you, and if you go ashore to get round an impassable 

 rapid, the boat, paddle, and landing net is about as much as the 

 boatman can manage, and you will have to carry your rod and 

 fish yourself. Sometimes you will be tempted to wish the 

 basket was not so full of fish, but do not leave them behind, they 

 are very acceptable to the camp servants and to the boatmen. In 

 this respect I always treat the man that shares the toils of the 

 campaign handsomely. Do it yourself, or the camp servants will 

 treat him badly. It is good policy for sport's sake, as well as the 

 right thing to do. 



If you have not been at the trouble to have a basket of this 

 sort made beforehand, then two common baskets, which can be 

 picked up ready-made in any bazaar, put one inside the other, 

 strengthen each other, and are better than nothing. Bat they are 

 not so comfortable as a properly made basket-seat, for they are not 

 high enough, and are rough to sit on. If you go fishing, it is pre- 

 sumed you go for pleasure, and your pleasure will be very much 

 marred if you are sitting all the while in constrained positions 



