Appendix to the Memorial. 119 



escape. There is the contingency of the seine breaking, or the 

 fish falHng from the dip-net between the seine and the vessel, or 

 of a storm arising and the vessel breaking away from the seine 

 altogether. And there are, doubtless, many other chances of 

 escape. The "fishing" is not over — although there may be a moral 

 certainty that the fish will eventually be secured — until as a fact 

 they are secured. If the other view is the sound one, then the 

 hardy fishermen along our multitudinous coast waters and tidal 

 rivers are "fishing" when at even-tide they set their nets, but they 

 are not "fishing" when in the morning, with nets full to over- 

 flowing, the fish not only enmeshed but dead, they bring them on 

 board and stow away their fare. I am "fishing" while I am 

 whipping the water with my line, "fishing" also when the salmon 

 rises and takes the fly, but, having hooked him, I am not "fishing" 

 when for minutes, or perhaps hours, I play him in the water, 

 weaken him before the final tragedy, and at last land him dead 

 upon the sward. The negro boys referred to by Fraude in his 

 "English in the West Indies" (p. 137), were "fishing" when they 

 were placing the net in the water and surrounding the fish with 

 their improvised contrivance, but when the cord was drawn and 

 the net closed, they were not "fishing" while they were hoisting 

 them into the boat and carrying them ashore. And when more 

 than eighteen and a half centuries ago seven men stood out in 

 their little craft from the shores, on the waters of the Galilean 

 Sea, they went afishing. They were "fishing," though all night 

 they caught nothing; "fishing" too, when in the morning at the 

 behest of their Master they cast their net at the right side of the 

 ship ; but they were not "fishing" when with help from friends 

 they dragged their net all unbroken ashore, filled with a "multitude 

 of fishes." 



Neither in my view, as I have already suggested, can it be 

 said that these fish were "taken," if anything depended upon that, 

 until they were actually on board the ship. True, they were en- 

 compassed by the net ; true, there was, I admit, almost a certainty 

 that they would ultimately be secured, but they were not yet 

 "taken." A city may be besieged, even beleaguered, by an in- 

 vincible host, there may be a strong probability, nay, even an abso- 

 lute certainty that the siege will be successful, but the city is not 



