SOME SOUTH AMERICAN FISHES 147 



thick, scale-like armour, and were very fierce. To 

 stop their snapping, most of them had to be 

 promptly sat upon. 



We made use of the survivors as lures, but again 

 and again some monster of the deep bit them 

 clean off the hook. At last, we reluctantly deter- 

 mined to try fruit. We had no oranges on board, 

 but we had lemons, so scraping the rind to let 

 free the juice, we furnished our hooks with whole 

 lemons, and again cast out our lines. 



Not long were we kept in suspense. There was 

 a tremendous tug at the captain's line, and a 

 similar one at mine. We were almost pulled 

 overboard, for the fish fought like furies ; but 

 after a while we had them on the bulwarks, and, 

 slipping ropes through their gills, got them on 

 deck, when they bit at anything within reach, and 

 behaved more like sharks than respectable fresh- 

 water fishes. 



They were riverine dorados (gilt-heads), five feet 

 long, and of a beautiful orange colour, elegant in 

 form, but with horrid-looking teeth. The day's 

 fishing ended by our catching a few smaller 

 specimens, which we found very good to eat, 

 and, when cured, were not at all unlike smoked 

 salmon. 



Subsequently, I took a flying trip to Buenos 



