THE CANDLE FISH. 219 



beyond the stern of the canoe, and bunches of feathers are 

 fastened to its extremities. This is done to resemble the 

 aquatic birds wiiich follow the course of a small fish. As it 

 is supposed that the bonito follows the birds with as much 

 ardor as it does the fishes, when the fishermen perceive the 

 birds they proceed to the place, and usually find the fish. 

 The undulation of the waves occasions the canoe to rise and 

 sink as they proceed, and this produces a corresponding 

 action in the hook suspended from the mast ; and so com- 

 plete is the deception that if the fish once perceives the 

 pearl-shell hook, it seldom fails to dart after it, and if it 

 misses the first time is almost sure to be caught the second. 

 As soon as the fish is fast, the men in the canoe, by drawing 

 the cord, hoist up the mast and drag in the fish, suspended 

 as it were from a kind of crane. When the fish is removed, 

 the crane is lowered, and as it projects over the canoe the 

 rowers hasten after the shoal with the greatest speed. 



These and a variety of other methods of fishing are pur- 

 sued by daylight, but many fish are taken by night. Some- 

 times the fishery is carried on by moonlight, occasionally in 

 the dark; but fishing by torchlight is the most picturesque. 

 The torches are bunches of dried reeds firmly tied together. 

 Sometimes the natives pursue their nocturnal sport on the 

 reef, and hunt the hedge-hog-fish. Large parties often go 

 out to the reef and it is a beautiful sight to see a long line 

 of rocks illuminated by the flaring torches. These the 

 fishermen hold in one hand, and stand with the poised spear 

 in the other, ready to strike as soon as the fish appears. 



The Indians on the coasts of the Pacific have also a singu- 

 lar mode of taking the Candle-fish, or Eulachon, a most valu- 

 able acquisition to their domestic comforts. Immense shoals 

 approach the shores in summer, and are caught in moonlight 

 nights, when they come to sport on the surface of the water, 

 which may often be seen glittering with their multitudes. 

 The Indians paddle their canoes noiselessly amongst them, 



