I04 FISHES I HAVE KNOWN 



in circumference and about nine hundred feet long, 

 from the ship's stores, stretched them, and the 

 tail, accurately weighted to ensure its remaining 

 just beneath the surface, was towed astern. 



The ship was going steadily before a six-knot 

 breeze, and, to save the trouble of periodically 

 feeling the line to ascertain if there was a bite, the 

 skipper improvised an ingenious little tell-tale 

 apparatus by looping up about a yard of the line 

 and tying it up with stout cotton in such a manner 

 that if violently tugged at the cotton would snap 

 and cause the line to set going an old watchman's 

 rattle fastened to the taffrail, which could be heard 

 all over the ship. 



Hours passed by with no result, and we began to 

 feel depressed, and reluctant to meet the cabin 

 passengers. 



We were now well in the Straits, and when the 

 dinner-hour (four o'clock) arrived and we sat down 

 with the others, many sarcastic remarks were 

 addressed to us regarding the Jisk course ! Just as 

 the soup-tureen was being removed, in the midst 

 of a solemn pause a tremendous rattle was heard 

 on deck. We all rushed up, to find the line as taut 

 as a harp-string, and, at the end, a bar of silver 

 jumping and writhing franticallj-. 



It took two of us to haul the fish in, and it 



