PEARL FISHING IN FRANCE. 99 



would accompany us. We soon started, our 

 Paris acquaintance with us, and commenced 

 flogging the water. 



" I say, Jack," began my friend (he always 

 began five out of every six sentences so), "just 

 look at his rod ; dash me if he is not going to 

 spin/ 7 



This was the case ; but such a rod, and such 

 tackle ! The rod was big and heavy enough to 

 have held a whale, and the hooks on the false 

 minnow, which, by-the-by, looked as much like 

 a minnow as a dolphin, were quite strong and 

 large enough to have securely held a moderate- 

 sized shark. Then, again, the way in which he 

 threw it in with both hands ! We laughed 

 literally till we cried, but remembering the 

 polite invitation I had had, I kept my merri- 

 ment to myself. 



" I say, Jack," said my friend, " I cannot stand 

 this any longer ; come along to some other part 

 of the lake, this fellow will kill me with laughter, 

 and he will hook one of us to a certainty within 

 the next two minutes. There he goes got it 

 in a tree again !" 



Whilst the Parisian was cursing, and extri- 



72 



