Chapt. xm. Improved swivels. 167 



„ . A constant source of disappointment in 



Bust-eaten _ Jrj - 



gut. India is the swivels rusting, and eating into 



the gut to which they are tied, and the gut consequently 

 giving there when you get a heavy fish. If they have 

 been put by for a fortnight, always try them in your hand 

 before risking them. Don't be afraid of breaking them, 

 it is much better that you should do so yourself and re- 

 tie, than that a fish should break it for you, and carry 

 away your phantom, or spoon, into the bargain. But well 

 soak before testing, or you do not give the gut fair play, 

 and it may crack from brittleness at the double, though 

 it would be strong enough after being soaked. 



Why on earth swivels, which are meant 

 , wive s. j. Q ^ e am phikious, are almost always made 



of a material that will not stand the water without rust- 

 ing, is a thing I never could make out. The only excuse 

 for it is that they can be made finer of such a hard ma- 

 terial as steel, than of any thing else. This is all very 

 fine, but it is an advantage which is more than counter- 

 balanced in India, and the sea, by their rapidly rusting; 

 and if brass swivels cannot be made small enough, or 

 galvanized iron is too soft a material to run well in a 

 swivel, then I would suggest swivels made of steel in the 

 centre bit, and of brass at each end ; so that the two eyes 

 to which the gut is tied should be of a material that does 

 not rust and corrode the gut. My idea is that the action 

 of rust is more rapid in a tropical country than in Eng- 

 land; at any rate it is much more provoking and remark- 

 ed in a country where you cannot replenish for want of 



