AND STRANGE FISHERMEN 



the arapaima, a gigantic fresh- water herring the hunting 

 of which has been both a sport and an industry among 

 the inhabitants of Brazil and Guiana for centuries. As 

 the average weight of these monsters is about three 

 hundredweight some have been taken weighing four 

 hundred pounds and measuring fifteen feet in length it 

 will be seen that arapaima hunting is not child's play. 

 The catching is done by hook and line, by tethered arrows 

 and by harpoons, angling being only employed for night 

 work. The line, a sort of slender lasso, carries a heavily 

 weighted hook baited with some small fish, and is lowered 

 from a canoe which it is almost useless to moor, on account 

 of the immense towing powers of the fish. If the angler 

 is wise, as soon as the creature is pulled near enough, he 

 puts an end to its struggles with a spear. 



Sundown or sunrise is the time for spearing. A boat 

 pulled by half a dozen Indians or Zambos paddles gently 

 up stream, everyone observing perfect silence, two or 

 three fishermen crouching in the bow and watching keenly 

 for a first sight of the largest fresh-water fish in the 

 world. Suddenly a head splashes half above water and 

 goes down again. Instantly one of the watchers snaps 

 his fingers, at which the rowers rest on their paddles and 

 every one waits breathlessly. The same thing happens 

 again, the head, or perhaps just the nose of the fish 

 appearing above the surface and vanishing again before 

 aim can be taken. 



Presently a loud splash is heard some distance astern of 

 the boat, as, with a clumsy imitation of its sea relative, 

 the tarpon, the giant essays a half-spring out of the water. 



205 



