298 THE OCEAN. 



contrary directions, and secure it. The floats answer 

 other purposes besides the obvious one of regulating 

 the depth of the snare ; they attract the fish by the 

 whiteness of their surface, and also show by their 

 motion when the prey is taken. 



Not only in the smooth waters of the lagoon 

 channels is the hook and line used, but in the open 

 Ocean ; as notwithstanding the frail character of their 

 vessels, the barbarous natives of these oceanic isles 

 are skilful and fearless in navigation. Even the 

 terrific shark is attacked in his own element ; some- 

 times involved in a net, when frequently he makes 

 havoc among the fishermen before he can be trans- 

 fixed by their spears ; and sometimes caught as inti- 

 mated above, with the insidious hook. The most 

 daring young men, usually the chiefs, are the first 

 to assault the monster; while the elders watch the 

 proceedings in their canoes from a distance, partakers 

 of the excitement, though no longer sharers of the 

 heroism. The eagerness with which these expeditions 

 are set on foot, and the ardour with which they are 

 prosecuted, are only equalled by the excited feelings 

 of those who, in other countries, pursue the more 

 noble objects of the chase. 



The fishes of these seas are, many of them, interest- 

 ing ; some of them have been already named. The 

 Albacore and the Bonito are common in the tropical 

 parts of the Pacific, and are both members of the 

 Mackerel family. They are of considerable size, but 

 the Albacore {Scoher Germo) is the larger, sometimes 

 being found six feet in length. Like its relative, our 

 own Mackerel, it is a fish of much elegance, and its 



