306 THE OCEAN. 



twenty or thirty of these rafts to a shallow part of 

 the lagoon, and then arrange themselves in a large 

 circle, enclosing a large space of water. They then 

 gradually narrow the circle by approaching each 

 other, keeping the fenced edge of the raft on the 

 outside. At this juncture a few persons go into the 

 circle with a canoe, and beat the surface of the water 

 violently with long white sticks, making as much 

 commotion as possible. The fish, alarmed, dart away 

 towards the rafts, and leaping out of water, endea- 

 vour to clear them; but, striking against the perpen- 

 dicular fence, they fall on the raft, and are gathered 

 into baskets, or into canoes prepared on the outside 

 of the circle. 



From the seeds of some of the native plants, a 

 liquor is prepared, which has the property of in- 

 toxicating fishes, and rendering them insensible. 

 The mixture is frequently poured into the water 

 in narrow places near the shore, or upon the reef; 

 soon after which the fish come out of their retreats, 

 and float in considerable numbers on the surface 

 as if dead, when they are caught without resist- 

 ance. 



Sometimes the long leaves of the cocoa-nut are 

 tied up in bunches, and affixed along a line, which 

 being carried out and dropped into the water, the 

 two ends are towed in two canoes towards the shore. 

 This rude apology for a net, drives many fishes 

 into the shallows, whence they are taken out with 

 hand-nets, or speared. Nets, however, made on 

 the same principle as our own, are manufactured 

 by them, and are exceedingly well made. They 



