216 CLEVER TBIGK8 OF THE CHINESE FISHERMEN. 



No nation on the earth puts in practice a greater variety 

 of modes for catching fish than the Chinese. One method 

 is to nail on each side of long narrow boats a plank two feet 

 broad, covered with white shining japan, and placed by a 

 gentle inclination so that its lower edge just touches the 

 surface of the water. This device is used at night, with the 

 intent that the reflection of the moon should increase its de- 

 ceptive influence ; and whether the fish which are sporting 

 around are dazzled by the splendor, or merely mistake the 

 lustrous plank for the sparkling water, it is impossible to 

 say, but in their moonlight gambols great numbers either 

 fall on the plank and are secured, or fairly vault into the 

 body of the boat. 



In some places the Chinese soldiers have acquired the 

 dextrous art of shooting fish with bows and arrows. To the 

 arrow a long piece of packthread is attached, by means of 

 which, when the fish is pierced, it is drawn to hand. In 

 other places the muddy bottom is so replenished with the 

 finny tribes, that men standing up to the waist in the water 

 strike them with sticks. Besides these various devices,, 

 another is in general use, and consists in stretching out a 

 net on four pieces of bamboo suspended by a long pole. 



The South Sea islanders are expert fishermen, and their 

 methods for the capture of the finny tribe are numerous, 

 and some very ingenious. They have a singular mode of 

 taking a remarkably timorous fish, which is called the needle,, 

 on account of its long, sharp head. A number of rafts are 

 built, each about fifteen or twenty feet long, and six or eight 

 wide. At one edge a kind of fence or screen is raised four 

 or five feet by fixing the poles horizontally one above the 

 other, and fastening them to upright sticks placed at short 

 distances along the raft. The men on the raft go out at a 

 distance from each other, enclosing a large space of water, 

 having the raised part or frame on the outside. They 

 gradually approach each other till the rafts join, and form a 



