33 Recreations of a Sportsman 



six or eight feet long, which floated on the sur- 

 face and hung down, forming beautiful arches 

 and loops natural lurking places for the fishes 

 of a graceful and beautiful character, as aside 

 from their natural beauty, every leaf was spotted 

 or decorated with the white tracery of delicate 

 coral-like animals, which had the appearance of 

 white lace seen over amber. Each leaf was cov- 

 ered with these and other forms, lending to the 

 beauty of the whole. 



As we approached some of the islands, the 

 little fishes could be seen in such vast numbers 

 that they formed an amber tint, like a shadow 

 hovering about it; as we drew nearer, they 

 darted to their protective island, and dis- 

 appeared as we rounded to alongside, and an- 

 chored by trailing a leaf, which the boatman 

 would haul in. Nine islands out of ten, and 

 they were scattered over a large area, had other 

 attendants in the shape of yello.wtails (Seriola], 

 ranging from fifteen to twenty or even thirty 

 pounds; splendid fishes, amber-hued above, silver 

 below, with yellow fins, and a vivid yellow streak 

 from head to tail, along the median line; radiant 

 creatures, among the hardest fighters of all the 

 game fishes of the Californias. It was an easy 

 matter to catch them. A cast with the light re- 

 silient rod, and the shining sardine would hardly 

 reach below the surface before it would be taken, 

 the screaming reel telling the story. 



