200 FISHING BY NIGHT. 



in the refreshment room, or o\-sters and lobsters in 

 tlie "Reserve". Now and again an cntliusiastic angler 

 makes a stai,' of a few da^s here, as fish are said to 

 abound along this rock^' coast and the fisherman has 

 ample opportunit^' for practising his ingenuity and 

 adroitness. F'ishing at night with lights is particularh" 

 exciting, and requires, as here practised, much skill. One 

 must have sailed with the fishermen to realize this. 



The sea was so calm and inviting that we arranged 

 with a fisherman to take us out with him one evening. 

 It began to get dark soon after we left the shore. There 

 was no moon in the sk^', but innumerable stars whose 

 number appeared continualh' to increase. The\' were 

 reflected in the water on which we floated. The moun- 

 tain grew gradualh' less distinct, and was soon no more 

 than a dark, starless shadow on the skA'-line. It was 

 quiet on the sea ; we could hear onh' the soft ripple of 

 the wa^'es against the boat and the rh^-thmic splash of 

 the oars. E!ut the land breeze bore the sounds ot the 

 shore across the sea. We heard from the distance the 

 loud concert of the tree frogs and the shrill chirping 

 of the cricket. The breeze also wafted towards us the 

 odours given out b^' the resinous Pine woods and the 

 aromatic Maquis. The lighthouses, near ancl far, shone 

 out on the shore like large stars. We abandoned our- 

 selves entireh' to the enjoyment of this scene, and 

 inhaled the balm\' air with delight. One of the fishermen 

 now bent o\'er the edge of the boat to light the fire. 

 Tie fastened an iron brazier to a hook at the bow, 

 having first filled it with the resinous wood of the Aleppo 



