158 FISHES I HAVE KNOWN 



such a rush! Hither and thither a well-hooked, 

 heavy fish darted madly, startling every inmate of 

 the pool into fits ! About ninety yards of line ran 

 out, and then, slowly reeling in, I got the captive 

 within a few feet of the canoe, and was just able to 

 see what it was, when away it went again, though 

 somewhat less vigorously. Another reel up, and 

 another bolt, and at last I lugged the creature on 

 board the light craft, which by this time had 

 drifted dowji stream into a quiet backwater. 



Such a beauty it was ! A pirai, weighing 10 Ibs. 

 if an ounce ! Paddling up again to the rapids, I 

 caught fish after fish almost without any effort. In 

 an hour I had sufficient tucunares, peranhas, &c., 

 of all colours and sizes to feed a ship's crew. 



Thus ended my experience of South American 

 fresh-water fishes. 



