58 FISHING EXPERIENCE. 



As split-bamboo, greenheart, or even lance-wood 

 fishing-rods, jointed and spliced ready for use, are 

 not to be procured here, I was satisfied to employ in 

 their place a young tamarach-tree, about twelve or 

 thirteen feet long. Of course this formed rather a 

 clumsy instrument, but as no better was at hand, I 

 was forced to be content with it. When the first 

 cast was made scarcely had the bait disappeared 

 when the line was tightened with a jerk, and I had a 

 fine fish fast. With such strong tackle I could afford 

 to be less cautious than the disciples of the gentle 

 art usually are with such worthy game, so I put on 

 pressure, gave the victim of his appetite the butt, 

 and in a moment had him struggling at my feet. 

 But in his efforts to escape my bait dropped off in 

 the stream, and half-a-dozen of the inhabitants of 

 the brook appearing as claimants for it, instantly 

 bore it off. Thus I was again without this im- 

 portant aid. Only one resource was left me. As 

 I did not desire to lose half-an-hour in searching 

 for another, I determined to slice a piece off the 

 pure white, silvery belly of my capture. Such a 

 course was repulsive, but { where needs drives 

 I will not complete the sentence. My hook was 

 again in the circling eddies, and by degrees the 

 glittering bait became more and more indistinct as it 

 sunk deeper and deeper into the water, at length 

 entirely disappearing. After a pause, a sudden, 

 spasmodic jerk was felt at the line for a moment, 

 and then all was still ; but this inertion was of 



