142 



Piscatorial gymnastics. 



Chapt. XI 



"stance very rare with 

 "fresh-water fish; so 

 "that "the propagating 

 "of this species in 

 "different parts of the 

 "country would seem 

 "to be an object wor- 

 "thy of attention. My 

 "time would not admit 

 "of seeing any of them 

 "taken, as the fishery 

 "cannot be carried on 

 "without some days' 

 "preparation. 



is to frighten them. Behind this net 

 comes a long row of small canoes tied 

 to the drag net at short intervals, so 

 that the hauling of the drag net shall 

 keep them in their places close behind 

 the drag net. On the thwarts in these 

 canoes stand men extending a similar 

 net in the air, at about the angle of 

 45° from the water, to the greatest 

 height they can reach. Thus arrang- 

 ed the line proceeds, and the fish, 

 frightened by the drag net in the 

 water, endeavour to leap over it, and 

 in so doing fall into the net spread 

 in the air. It is a sight to see a sil- 

 very salmon-like fish of 20 pounds 

 delicate eating. or thereabouts face the line with a 



spring that clears boats and standing men and up raised 

 nets. Sometimes he leaps against the net close to a boat- 

 man, or even hits him and brings him down like a nine- 

 pin, a sort of tumbling that the fishermen seem to enjoy 

 if the fish is secured, and the eventual victory lies with 

 them. Altogether it is a pretty and somewhat exciting 

 scene to witness, especially if the spectator be himself 

 under fire. 



N. B. Hu-minu, or 

 flower fish, is a name 

 given at random by 

 the natives to several 

 fish, simply because 

 they are considered 



