AUSTRALIAN FISHES 121 



flaming red as the sun flashed his rays along the 

 Pacific and lighted up the sombre cliffs and forest 

 behind us. Long lines of pelicans went clattering 

 out to their feeding-grounds, cormorants and gan- 

 nets became active (a good sign for us), in the 

 distance a couple of whales were spouting, and 

 overhead a few black-backed albatrosses were fly- 

 ing around very lazily, the calm not suiting them. 



By this time we were ready for a large dish of 

 fried chops and oceans of strong tea, and then, the 

 tackle having long before been got ready, we were 

 able to get to work. The bait — pieces of squid 

 and mullet cut up — was dealt out to each in a 

 wooden box. Overnight lots had been cast for 

 positions along the bulwarks, and each man 

 scrupulously kept his own station, the number of 

 which was chalked on the deck, throughout the day. 



At a given signal from the steam-whistle the 

 stout lines — each weighted with a 2-lb. lead and 

 armed with a large schnapper-hook on a half-foot 

 of snooding— were simultaneously thrown over- 

 board. Our skipper knew Ws business, and had 

 brought the Spencer to anchor just over a particular 

 rock, where was a shoal of fish, and at once we 

 were hard at it pulling in schnapper. 



Then I appreciated the use of thick gloves, for 

 it is no joke to haul up ten fathoms of heavy line. 



