248 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



third day I asked our host to join us and take 

 my rod, and it was then that he really learned that 

 what tended most to give us sport was a knowledge 

 of the depths. To surprise him, I kept the secret 

 of how I had become possessed of this advantage 

 so long as my early morning's reading of a chart 

 answered, and, after that, showed him a rough copy 

 of the portion we were travelling over, no bigger 

 than my hand, that told me all the depths for six 

 sea-miles. 



M'Cabe is quite a sportsman and quick-witted so 

 I was not surprised that he asked how I knew when 

 the bait was at the proper depth. I prefer to give 

 a fuller answer here to this than was necessary 

 to him while he was fishing. The speed of the 

 boat is a matter of much moment ; it should be such 

 as will cause the passing water to spin the lure 

 and make it appear to be in a hurry to escape. To 

 effect this the water needs to be travelling past 

 the boat at two miles an hour ; the boat may be 

 making little progress or perhaps none ; I some- 

 times anchor in rapid, desirable spots. When 

 M'Cabe asked his question I answered: " We are 

 in four fathoms and we have twenty yards of line 

 out that have six-ounce leads to sink them, which 

 I have no doubt brings them to within half-a- 

 fathom of the bottom : pay out six yards more of 

 line and see what will happen." He did and got 

 the expected pull and, when he wound in, there was 

 a piece of weed on the hook in proof that we had 

 been fishing at the depth desired. I will give 

 a letter of his to show how our success moved him 

 to a desire to give up his hand-lines in favour 

 of a rod and fine tackle. 



