io Salmon at the Antipodes. 



CHAPTEE II. 



FISHING. 



In Badham's "Ancient and Modern Fish 

 Tattle," an amusing, quaint, learned, and 

 delightful book, there are many curious facts 

 illustrative of the art of fishing. " Fish," he 

 says, "being more distinguished for the size 

 of their heads than for the amount of brains 

 lodged in them, and affording an easier capture 

 than either beasts or birds, fell early victims 

 to the crafts and assaults of their arch-enemy, 

 man; " and he goes on to quote early writers 

 from Habakkuk and other sacred authorities 

 down through Homeric stanzas and Oppian's 

 verses on the same subject. Suetonius speaks 

 of gold and purple nets to charm the fish to a 

 sweet death. History tells of Antony and 

 Cleopatra's love for the sport, and how the 

 latter played a cunningly devised trick off 

 upon her admiring triumvir when he was 

 unsuccessful in angling, by sending down a 



