162 IN MALAY FORESTS. 



hurriedly disposed the nets on our shoulders, and 

 dashed on to make another cast. Some magnificent 

 fish were caught. The heaviest turned the scale at 

 fifty pounds, but any fish over three pounds were 

 rare. The man who caught the fifty -pounder fell 

 on to it as soon as he saw it gleaming in his net, 

 wrapped the folds of his net round it fighting it 

 spider-wise, and then, hugging the encircling meshes 

 to his breast, struggled to the island with his capture. 

 But soon the yield of fish diminished and the nets 

 more and more often drew nothing, and at last we 

 wandered up and down the enclosure drawing blank 

 at every cast. Then we shook the water from our 

 heads and faces, and said that it was over, and 

 making for the welcome shade of the house -boats 

 wondered to what extent the sun had taken toll of 

 our skins. The men's " work " was now over, and 

 we collected round the magun to see the " play " of 

 the women begin. It will be remembered that the 

 magun is the trap into which the fish could find a 

 way from the enclosure but from which there was 

 no escape. This had not yet been touched, and we 

 could see that it held a very fair supply of fish. 

 Malay chivalry leaves the magun to the womenfolk. 

 Soon the Malay ladies, headed by our host's wife, 

 all gay in wonderful silks, emerged from their boats 

 and stepped into the water. The entrance to the 

 trap was sufficiently opened to let them enter, and 

 one by one they filed in. They were armed with 

 things like short-handled shrimping-nets, and began 

 to scoop about in the water. At once there was a 

 tremendous leaping and splashing. Little fish jumped 



