THE FISHERMAN. 93 



on former fishing and hunting exploits here and 

 elsewhere. 



Early in the morning the fishing begins. If 

 the pool is not too deep or if the dreaded perai 

 is absent, the men go into the water with their 

 cutlasses, disturb the fish and strike them as their 

 movements are felt. This is not difficult to the 

 naked man, whose senses have been trained to 

 feel the vibrations caused by movements in water. 

 This sense is so acute that, knowing as he does 

 the particular motion of every fish, he can tell 

 what species is near. If the party is large there 

 is quite a lively scene. Splashing, chopping, and 

 the throwing out of fish after fish goes on for hours, 

 until every one of any size is captured. Meanwhile 

 the women have also been busy, catching them 

 as they are thrown on the bank, cleaning and 

 placing them on the barbecue, where the fires are 

 kept up and the smoking goes on apace. Finally, 

 every one gets a hearty meal, and peace and plenty 

 are assured for several weeks. The peace here 

 referred to means idleness, and after all the 

 strenuous life demands rest after hard work. 

 Here again we must join issue with those good 

 people who stigmatise the Indian man as pecu- 

 liarly lazy. The life of a hunter and fisherman 

 is by no means that of an idler ; if meat be not 



