294 BLUE-FISHING. 



own business. If he fishes for clams he knows 

 where the clams are, if he uses a net he understands 

 just where and how to set it, if he digs mussels or 

 catches 'bunkers, mussels and 'bunkers are the ex- 

 tent of his knowledge. Why should he worry him- 

 self with vain things ? One of my men worked in 

 the middle part of the bay. Into the East Bay he 

 has told me he went once. Into the West Bay, 

 though but thirty miles from his home, he has 

 never presumed to penetrate. The other has not 

 been so far. But I told you I can rely upon my 

 charts." 



"Then," said Mr. Green, "the sooner you begin 

 to study them the better." 



"I remember," said the Commissioner, thought- 

 fully, as he brought them out of the cabin, " that 

 there was a white house, which bore north-east or 

 north-west or north-by-east or about that, from the 

 opening in the bulkhead, but I forget exactly which 

 white house it was, and there seem to be several." 



" Perhaps," replied Mr. Green, with deepest 

 "sarkassum," "it is that white house we passed an 

 hour ago, or that one we are abreast of, or that one 

 a mile ahead. As everybody appears to paint his 

 house white on this shore you have quite a choice." 



"Oh!" replied the Commissioner, innocent of 

 the ill-concealed irony, "this was a large, white 

 house, it is either that one in the distance or some 

 one beyond." 



At this the Superintendent bounced around in 



