FISH 23 
much resembling beef in appearance. These fish some- 
times attain a weight of over 2,000 Ibs., and are captured 
in nets. The meat is, however, coarse and unpalatable 
to Europeans. When on an expedition down the river 
I once had an opportunity of purchasing a living spe- 
cimen ; but though I was only about eighty miles from 
the town, the fisherman refused to take my Ichang 
notes, which was the only form of money I had with 
me; consequently this chance of securing a large 
specimen to send home was lost. 
An excellent fish for food, and much appreciated by 
the Europeans, is the mandarin fish. It is small and 
averages about a pound, rarely reaching more than 
four, in weight. Shaped somewhat like a bream, it is 
of a beautiful light silvery brown colour on the back 
and silvery white underneath. It is fairly common, and 
is captured both by nets and lines. In the river is 
also found a large species of carp, which forms a con- 
siderable article of diet among the natives; it attains a 
weight of 25lbs. The whole river is teeming with 
fish of many other sorts, which are much fished for by 
the natives, who are expert anglers, in various ways. 
The abundance of fish is so great that the natives 
are at certain times in the habit of setting long lines 
with many hooks attached to short lengths at small in- 
tervals. These are shot across the stream without any 
