THE SUNDARBANS 235 
taken to the sea-face, and thence a walk along the 
sandy stretch, with its line of refuges for shipwrecked 
mariners, or through the dry forests that fringe the 
coast. This will be found more enjoyable than 
ploughing knee-deep amongst the spiky roots of 
the “sundri” trees, armed to the teeth in case of a 
sudden assault from a hungry tiger, and especially 
is the breeze blown from the sullen Bay of Bengal 
preferable to the hot silence of the tidal forests. 
The creeks are full of fish, and of fishermen who 
use nets with skill and success. They have a 
curious custom of training otters to their service ; 
these animals are secured by a girth to a boom pro- 
jecting over the gunwale, so that they rest on the 
surface of the water and can be released so soon as 
occasion arises. The pack then, after the manner of 
otters, extend in line across the creek, and drive the 
frightened fish headlong into the nets, when the 
otters are again tethered and rewarded with some 
savoury morsel. In open dugouts may be seen rows 
of lugubrious cormorants sitting awaiting the order 
of the paddler, and this is conveyed with emphasis 
as each bird is pushed into the water, to return after 
a time with a fish in his beak. A ring on the neck 
prevents the bird from swallowing his prey, so that 
he receives for his labour only a fixed wage, and, 
however skilful he may be, he must go hungry till 
the fishing is over. There is a great fish-market at 
Khulna, the chief town of the district, and baskets of 
fish of assorted sizes, of huge prawns, and of crabs, 
are daily despatched in the fish-mail to Calcutta. 
The inhabitants are to have a fresh-water supply of 
their own at some future day ; at present low ebb- 
