THE GEOUND-SEINE. 213 



many slender lianes depending like long strings from 

 its branches. 



In the bottom of the bight, upon the narrow beach 

 that looks like a thread of silver between the black 

 mountain and the equally black reflection, we see 

 several moving atoms ; and a little speck slowly glides 

 out into the still calm bay. Those are the fisher- 

 men, and this is their canoe, in which they are 

 carrying out their ground seine. One end of a long 

 rope is made fast on shore, and the seine is attached 

 to the other extremity ; when the canoe has got as 

 far as the rope will allow, the seine, loaded and 

 corked, is gradually dropped parallel to the shore ; 

 and a rope of similar length to the former, but at- 

 tached to the other side of the net, is brought to 

 land. 



If we leave our post of observation, and walk 

 leisurely down towards the beach, we shall arrive by 

 the time they begin to haul. It is a pleasant road, 

 and at this hour, beneath the cool shadow of the 

 mountain, walking is a very different thing from 

 what it would be in the after part of the day. 



sol ubi montii 



Mutaret umbras," 



when the fierce beams will glare upon us with two- 

 fold rigour, one sun in the sky, and another in the 

 sea. Tall trees overhang the road on both sides, for 

 part of the way, many of them covered with beautiful 

 blossom ; fine flowering shrubs display their charms 

 amidst the bush, and some magnificent butterflies 

 hover about and flap their heavy wings over the 



