170 WHALING AND BEAR-HUNTING 



mackerel for bait for the tunny, and small fish to catch the 

 mackerel. The small fish, when they are let loose, are sup- 

 posed to hug the shadow of the boat and so keep the tunny 

 in the neighbourhood : besides this purpose, they form our 

 principal food at midday. 



These large mackerel were kept alive alongside on tethers, 

 hooked by the nose with a rather clever rustic swivel on 

 the line kept alive to be used for the tunny. But usually 

 a big basket is kept floating alongside, into which are put 

 the live bait, large and small. There was so much going on ; 

 so many little fishing dodges new to me that I must have 

 missed much ; what held my attention were the great coils 

 of strong hand-line, thirty fathoms in each, thick as the 

 average man's little finger, with brass-twisted wire trace, 

 fifteen plies, each with thick iron hook at its end. 



After we had caught enough mackerel we went several 

 miles farther out to sea, and the two men in the stern each 

 made fast a large mackerel to his line put the big iron hook 

 through its nose and a fine wire twisted lightly, from the 

 shank to the neck of the barb to prevent the fish working 

 off. 



Finally we had four of these live baits and strong lines at 

 different depths, drifting astern ; and two men at the oar 

 gently paddled to keep the boat in position and the lines 

 up and down. For hours we sat so, and thought tunny- 

 fishing uncommonly dull. 



If one could speak Portuguese it would help to pass the 

 time. What fun it would have been to get the local "clash " 

 from these pleasant-looking men, all in tatters, miraculously 

 stitched together. How curious would have been their 

 views of life and their experiences and traditions, but my 

 interpreter was sick as could be, and made neither moan 

 nor attempt at translation, so the crew chatted and better 

 chatted between themselves, and laughed occasionally, and 

 so passed the time, whilst the writer patiently and silently 

 held a line for hours, waiting for the huge tug that seemed 

 never going to come. 



But the next boat to us soon got one a whacking big 

 fellow ; he fought them for an hour and a half and they gave 



