308 TEE HUNTING GROUNDS 



pool, and creeping up as cautiously as possible, I 

 got to within twenty paces of the huge fellow who 

 was so coolly enjoying his " siesta," took steady aim 

 and fired. The ramrod flew like an arrow true to 

 the mark, passing through the fish and dragging the 

 wire and part of the line with it. Immediately the 

 creatm'e found itself wounded it sprang high out of 

 the water, and then dived, pulling so hard that our 

 hands were badly cut with the cord running so fast 

 through them as we gave him play. 



Eor some time it raced round and round the pool, 

 but at length seemed to grow exhausted, and allowed 

 us to pull it to the surface of the water, when, as if 

 endued with fresh vigour, it gave another great spurt, 

 and again spun round and round, until at times I 

 felt afraid that the cord would break. After a good 

 hour's play it turned on its belly and gave in, and 

 w^e managed to land it with some trouble, on account 

 of the great weight. 



It was evidently of the carp species, having large 

 round scales, one dorsal fin, forked tail with rounded 

 lobes, and yellow olive sides, deepening to black on 

 the back. Not having any scales at hand, we could 

 not determine its weight exactly, but I constructed 

 a rude pair with some ropes and a bamboo accu- 

 rately suspended in the centre, and by that we made 

 out the weight to be about sixty-three pouTids, as it 

 weighed down two bags and a quarter of shot, which 

 were supposed to hold twenty-eight pounds when 

 full The flesh proved to be coarse, rank, and tough. 



