AND STRANGE FISHERMEN 



long coil of stout cord or thong which has been neatly 

 wound round the arrow. The coil rapidly unrolls itself, 

 leaving the shaft on the surface as a sort of float, and all 

 the fishermen have to do is to paddle up and seize this ; 

 then to draw the refractory giant to the top, as a further 

 mark for their bows and arrows. 



When caught, the fish is either cut up into steaks and 

 sold slightly salted, or is dried and packed for transport to 

 the large towns, or for export. The flesh is said to be 

 excellent. 



The South American rivers and pools have almost 

 a monopoly of the curiosities among fresh-water fishes. 

 In the Parana is another giant, called by the Gauchos the 

 armado ; shorter though thicker than the arapaima, and 

 much prized for its delicate flavour. The Gauchos angle 

 for it with hand-lines, and hooks baited with cray-fish or 

 meat. Two men in a canoe can work four lines they 

 could work forty if the craft were large enough to stand 

 the strain ; the upper end of the line is tied to the boat, 

 and the men stand straddle-legged to guard against 

 sudden lunges. These do not always come ; often the fish 

 swallows the hook, and lies on the bottom, scarcely moving, 

 and only kicking when hauling-in time comes. 



Then how does the fisherman know when he has got a 

 bite ? The armado sees to all that ; for, the moment he 

 is hooked, he sets up a rattling, grating noise that can be 

 clearly heard even when he is at the bottom, and, if near 

 the surface, is audible from several yards away. And, 

 moreover, he is not always content to lie in the mud and 

 groan. He has a trick sometimes of seizing the line with 



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