of the Old World. 321 



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 creature 

 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. 



For 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 we 

 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 accurately 

 suspended in the centre, and by that we made out 

 the weight to be about sixty-three pounds, as it 

 weighed down two bags and a quarter of shot, which 



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