378 PEOSE HALIETJTICS. 



sound, for my ear is well practised now, I know exactly 

 where and when to pull, and frequently feel large eels 

 tugging in the dark, and trembling at the end of my 

 line, which I only see when I have brought them close 

 under my nose ; 'chacun trouve son plaisir oii il le trouve,' 

 and that is mine, sir !' 



In Holland* (whence we get our largest supplies) the 

 practice is to fish them by night with a bunch of threaded 

 lob-worms. The ancients, though apparently unac- 

 quainted with the Dutchman's Medusian mop for in- 

 veigling eels, used a somewhat similar device, of which, 

 though we have already given a prose abstract in our 

 introductory chapter, we must in this place quote Op- 

 pian's metric version, as translated not unfaithfully by 

 J. Jones : — 



With, ludicrous device, in slimy bays, 

 Some boy the silver-volumed eel betrays : 

 A sheep-gut's hxmiid length his hand protends. 

 Below the perforated line extends ; 

 The fish sucks down the bait with rav'nons joy. 

 And gives the tugging signal to the boy ; 

 To th' opposite extreme his lips adjoin, 

 And fill with crowded air the widening line : 

 Swoln with the springy blast the entrail strains. 

 And binds the captive's throat with airy chains ; 

 Th' imprison'd winds his straiten'd jaws dilate, 

 And fill his heaving breast with bloated fate ; 

 Panting he rolls, and struggles all in vain, 

 A floating captive to the youthful swain. 

 Thus mounts the writhing eel in airy death. 

 Drawn by the wily boy's compulsive breath. 



The ancients were quite as well aware as the moderns 

 that night was the best season for securing eels, when 



* London is principally supplied by Dutch companies ; they 

 maintaia a regular flotilla of vessels for that purpose. A store- 

 ship is always lying off BUlingsgate, in readiness to meet any un- 

 usual demand. 



