Chapt. ix. Native way of live-baiting. 129 



fish. But the natives have a very neat way of baiting a 

 live fish. They insert the hook at the anus, and pass it 

 carefully point foremost towards the hack, but only just 

 under the skin; and when they have got it well up to the 

 bend of the hook, they push the shank gently in up to the 

 very head, so that the whole hook is concealed under the 

 skin of the bait, and lies with the back of the hook to- 

 wards the back of the fish, and the point towards the 

 stomach, for the hook has had a turn given to it in the 

 process of insertion. Lastly the hook is felt through the 

 skin, and the cord gently pulled, so as just to bring the 

 point through the skin of the bait. This last is a deli- 

 cate operation, and serves the double object of preventing 

 the hook from slipping out of its concealments, and of be- 

 ing the better prepared for hooking the fish that takes the 

 bait. This sounds a long operation, but is very quickly 

 done, and seems to injure the small fish but slightly. If 

 you have gut attached to your hook there is nothing at 

 all showing, and even if you have thinnish gimp there is 

 very little to be seen in dirty water. The natives use 

 what they call the Bainy fibre. It is the fibre taken from 

 the net-work at the base of the fronds of the Sago-palm. 

 It is less transparent than gut, but less easy to bite 

 through, and less readily seen, I should think, than gimp. 

 It is very capable of standing great tension, but it is brit- 

 tle and liable to break across when dry, consequently it 

 should not be coiled up too closely when put away, and 

 should never be used without being well soaked, when it 

 becomes quite flexible. If you will be careful therefore of 



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