194 FISHING AS PRACTISED IN 



the fish approach, the rowers ply their paddles, 

 and make the canoe fly rapidly along, the fisher- 

 man always keeping the hook skimming on the 

 top of the water, so as to resemble a flying fish, 

 the similarity to which being always increased by 

 a number of strong bristles attached to the end of 

 the shell, in imitation of the tail of the flying fish ; 

 the dolphin and bonito dart at it, and are soon 

 hooked. Two men will sometimes catch twenty 

 or thirty of these large fish in one forenoon ; 

 English hooks have been introduced, but still they 

 prefer their pearl hooks. 



Chambers's Journal, No. 79. 



Method of Catching Fish at Prince's Island. 

 The negroes have a singular method of catching 

 fish here, which is similar to the pilchard, (only 

 smaller), and the negroes are extremely fond of it. 

 They build a low wall of loose stones around a pool 

 just within low water mark ; this is completely 

 covered, of course, when the tide is up ; and when 

 the tide recedes, it leaves a number of the fry de- 

 tained in the trap. The pool, however, being 

 pretty large, and the fish nimble, it is impossible 

 to catch them with any kind of ease. The negroes 

 then take a plant similar to the blue garden lu- 

 pine, the leaves and stem of which they squeeze, 

 pressing out the juice, and stirring it in the water ; 

 this has a most extraordinary effect upon the 

 fish, although used only in a small quantity ; the 



