WINGED FISHERFOLK 275 
Had it not been made into a curry that night, the 
German Emperor would undoubtedly have sent it a 
telegram and probably decorated it. The sight of 
three men being repeatedly “scored off” by the bird 
would have been most ludicrous, had one not known 
that the poor creature was wounded and fighting for 
its life. 
The little cormorant lives exclusively on fish, for 
which it dives. It is most voracious. I have never 
taken the trouble to count the number of fish put away 
by a cormorant in the course of a meal. One observer 
did, and saw the bird swallow 108 fish in the course of 
an hour and a half. 
The heathen Chinee, with diabolical cuteness, makes 
the cormorant fish for him. He puts a rubber ring 
round the bird’s neck, so that it cannot swallow its 
prey. It is, therefore, obliged to disgorge its booty 
into its master’s basket. This is exploitation of labour 
if you like. 
What a grand simile for the labour agitator! Just as 
a wicked Chinaman robs the poor cormorant of its 
earnings, so does the abominable capitalist exploit the 
working man. Therefore down with the bloated aristo- 
cracy, and let the honest worker enjoy twelve hours’ 
play and twelve hours’ sleep, and spend the remainder 
of the day in manly toil! 
But this is a digression. It is only fair both to the 
cormorant and its master to say that the Chinaman now 
and then allows the bird to eat a fish, just to keep it in 
a good temper ! 
The meal over, the little cormorant betakes itself to 
