284 PREHISTORIC FISHING. 



of large trees of light wood, chiefly cypress. These stems are excavated chiefly 

 by fire, and finished with an hatchet. They look like long troughs, and are of 

 various sizes. 



" There is a particular manner of fishing,* which is undertaken in parties, 

 as many hands are wanted, in the following manner : When the Shad-fish (clupea 

 alosa) come up the rivers, the Indians run a dam of stones across the stream, 

 where its depth will admit of it, not in a strait line, but in two parts, verging 

 towards each other in an angle. An opening is left in the middle for the water 

 to run off. At this opening they place a large box, the bottom of which is full 

 of holes. They then make a rope of the twigs of the wild vine, reaching across 

 the stream, upon which boughs of about six feet in length are fastened at the 

 distance of about two fathoms from each other. A party is detached about a 

 mile above the dam with this rope and its appendages, who begin to move gently 

 down the current, some guiding one, some the opposite end, whilst others keep 

 the branches from sinking by supporting the rope in the middle with wooden 

 forks. Thus they proceed, frightening the fishes into the opening left in the 

 middle of the dam, where a number of Indians are placed on each side, vvho 

 standing upon the two legs of the angles, drive the fishes with poles, and an 

 hideous noise, through the opening into the above-mentioned box or chest. 

 Here they lie, the water running off through the holes in the bottom, and 

 other Indians stationed on each side of the chest, take them out, kill them 

 and fill their canoes. By this contrivance they sometimes catch above a thou- 

 sand shad and other fish in half a day. 



" In Carolina the Indians frequently use fire in fishing. A certain kind of 

 fish will even leap into the boats, which have fire in them." (Part I, page 94, etc.). 



De Bry (Theodorus): Admiranda Narratio fida tamen, de Commodis et Inco- 

 larum Eitibus Virginia, etc., Francoforti ad Moenum, 1590. Translation : [XIII. 

 The mode of fishing among the inhabitants of Virginia]. "They have also a 

 remarkable method of fishing in the rivers : for, since they lack iron and steel, 

 they fasten as a point on canes or long staffs the hollow tail of a certain fish 

 resembling the sea-crab ;}- with these they transfix fishes in the night or during 

 day-time, and bring them together in their boats : yet they also know how to 

 use the spines and stings of other fishes. They likewise, by fixing sticks or rods 

 in the water, construct wicker-work, which they entwine in such a manner as to 

 make it gradually narrower, as the figure shows. There is never beheld among 

 us such an excellent mode of catching fish, of which various kinds, differing from 

 ours, yet of very good taste, are here found in the rivers. "J 



* Buschnetzfischerey (bush-net fishing) in the German original, which was published at Barby in 1789. 

 f The king-crab or horse-shoe (Limulus Polyphemus, Latr.). 



J [XIII. Incolarum Virginia piscandi ratio]. " Egregiam etiam habent piscandi in flurainibus rationem : 

 cum enim ferro & chalybe careant, arundinibus aut oblongis virgis piscis cuiusdam cancro marino similis caudam 



