EPISODES 



213 



first hook. Nothing there! but now I feel several jerks, 

 stronger and more frequent than before. Several hooks I 

 pass; but see, what a fine catfish is twisting round and 

 round the little line to which he is fast! Nat, look to 

 your gaff — hook him close to the tail. Keep it up, my 

 dear fellow! — there now, we have him. More are on, 

 and we proceed. When we have reached the end many 

 goodly fishes are lying in the bottom of our skiff. New 

 bait has been put on, and, as we return, I congratulate 

 myself and my companions on the success of our efforts; 

 for there lies fish enough for ourselves and our neighbors. 

 A trot- line at this period was perfectly safe at Hender- 

 son, should I have allowed it to remain for weeks at a 

 time. The navigation was mostly performed by flat- 

 bottomed boats, which during calm nights floated in the 

 middle current of the river, so that the people on board 

 could not observe the fish that had been hooked. Not a 

 single steamer had as yet ever gone down the Ohio ; now 

 and then, it is true, a barge or a keel-boat was propelled 

 by poles and oars, but the nature of the river is such at 

 that place, that these boats when ascending were obliged 

 to keep near the Indiana shore, until above the landing 

 of the village (below which I always fixed my lines), 

 when they pulled across the stream. 



Several species or varieties of catfish are found in the 

 Ohio, namely, the Blue, the White, and the Mud Cats, 

 which differ considerably in their form and color, as well 

 as in their habits. The Mud Cat is the best, although 

 it seldom attains so great a size as the rest. The Blue 

 Cat is the coarsest, but when not exceeding from four 

 to six pounds it affords tolerable eating. The White 

 Cat is preferable to the last, but not so common ; and 

 the Yellow Mud Cat is the best and rarest. Of the 

 Blue kind some have been caught that weighed a hun- 

 dred pounds. Such fish, however, are looked upon as 

 monsters. 



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