MALAYAN FTSHEa 



I'hifi, then, is tlie manner of their capture. There will come a 

 moment when a grmt vvftve< like ii walL hurls lUvU oji the beac'i. 

 In fat t tliewt' titi it iiJl the time I However, tliere is niea. ure 



■^if two UT three inomeiits tun I no mure when thrtt wave fttfiJiilt; like 

 H. w'hII between you and the lit;h, ami the fish for^'et ymir exii;teiice. 

 ill that hrief time your raster nf the muli(*t nt*t !-priiiti« down to ih.* 

 very ver^e of the Itretikijif^ wave aiuI up to ur over hin loiee^ in fJie 

 w^i^e^; the net truJy liehi mn] truly .-^wun^, with « loii*j i>eiuliiluin 

 .siviiitf, tieHLs the erest of tlie appHmcIiiDg wave ufu} faWs fairly on 

 the group (»f nuillet wJieealeti iu the liollow heyuiid. ami iu this way 

 pcrlmp^ he may lie fortunate enoii;jh to take tuie or two linittln'd 

 UAi hi <.tne < ast. But yni,i will serve a hmjf jipjm'utieeship, i\nd will, 

 -vdmx Jearning, throw half & hiustlred times and have no mullet 



When the siport is in full swintr perliapei Itl or men il^rt 

 eimiiltani'ou.*ly down the heaeli and Afi many nets* shoot out and 

 ■over the wave?, i^uddeuly there eonie:* & wild yell of excitijiiunt. 

 Pelong whieh have lu'eii dis^turhed or eiK*losed in the Anding nets 

 leap iseveral fe^t ixi the air antl break their way throu^li the 

 nets. Silvery .^ix-pounders and even lar*rer fish in.^tinetively jump 

 when their brothers jnnip. There i-? a rupih up the beadi «nd a 

 rai*e haek to the breakers with the Pelong netti. The nei^ are 

 thrown at random (fphttr rtimhung) in every direetioii. There 

 may be n shoal of Pelong and, if some excitement 1 promise 

 _vou. 



Onee a Pelong sees the net over him, he make±< one upward 

 4a.sh to the apex of the net. The li.-*Jiermflji liurli? hinivself at the 

 fish and mii^t ^'rasp him then t>r not at all, for the next jjowerful 

 ^lash for liherty tfikes the fish riowii to the hott-oni and he is under 

 the t'hflinsJ and out of the net Ijofore you eau wink. Out of your 

 "ileptii m a strong^ surf with a t'fjuple of lusty Pelong in your arm& 

 and a smother of net, chain and eord fil>out you, yitu t?orae to the 

 ■eonelusion tlint life was never more worth Hvin;r Hud tliat if you 

 are oil to kingdom eome you will take the Pelonjf with you. 



A.=t I write, at Taujuntf Katou<j. Sini^apore, I eiin some 

 Boyanese, Bveea probably, with baby ea^tin«r nets eat^^-hiji^ fhrimpa, 

 ^iVAU and baby fieh in a s^ea like glas>; a miserali^e me.-^sy busi- 

 ness. The real gladiators of the easting net are to be found only 

 on the East coast. 



Our Mtdlei (Belanak) include the Jempul (Mtigil phttirppH) 

 wdiich attains at lea^t a foot and a half in length. 



The TartiDk (M, maigiemis), Recording to Day, attains at 

 least 3 feet in lenptli. The Anding aud Kedera, which ^jrow to 

 uibout a foot ajid a half, are excellent eating. 



The Belanak tamok (M. wfiifftemh) is knowu in Australia 

 as the Dimnond Sealed Mullet. It attains a wei|=cht of several 

 pounds and is of a pretty silvery colourj each scale bein^' prettily 

 margined with black. 



