FISHING IN CHILE. 



219 



the last fifty years of his life lie had got drunk on 

 aguardiente, an atrocious compound of nitric acid and 

 cayenne pepper, and I really was pleased to see the old 

 fellow go to roost so contented and lamb-like on a 

 gentleman^s beverage. 



At about four o'clock a.m. we hauled the line and 

 counted out sixty large congreos, besides some other fish 

 which looked uncommonly like small cod or haddock. We 

 coiled the line away in baskets, lifted in the stone, then 

 up sail and away. The old Chileno had somewhat 

 recovered from his spree, and felt none the worse for it, 

 much to his astonishment; as we were as hungry as 

 several hunters, we set him to work on a casiiela de polio 

 with a couple of fowls we had brought with us, and 

 meanwhile satisfied our immediate wants with broiled 

 congreo and canned salmon. After a very cold bath, we 

 all turned in and slept like tops till noon. Unremitting 

 attention was then paid to the casuela, and after a cigarro 

 or two we put ofi" again in the whale boat, followed by 

 the ancient mariner in his halsa, shaping our course 

 for some rock-bound islets which abounded with seals 

 and rabbits, as we had been told. 



Perhaps my readers may like to know what a halsa is 

 It is made of sealskin, and consists of two round sausage- 

 like tubes, pointed off at both ends ; one end is rather 

 larger or blunter than the other, and the tip is rather 

 pointed upwards, in rude imitation of a boat's nose. 

 The two tubes are lashed together, small end and large 

 end together, so as to form a slightly wedged shape; 

 a few boards are lashed across the tubes, and the thing is 

 complete. The tubes are inflated by a piece of reed 

 inserted in the smaller tip. The diameter of each may 

 be about three feet at the thickest part, and its length 



