196 AT MINNIKOY 



open seas of the tropical and warmer temperate zones 

 in large shoals all the year round, immoderately exem- 

 plifying the philosophy of Patch-breech's master, that 

 ''fishes live in the sea as men do a-land : the great 

 ones eat up the little ones," especially where flying- 

 fishes are concerned. They are of considerable size ; 

 the true tunny, according to Dr Gunther, attaining to 

 a length of lo feet and a weight of over looo pounds. 

 The species fished by the Minnikoy Islanders is the 

 bonito {Thynmts pelmnys), which they pursue in the 

 above-mentioned fishing-galleys, these being specially 

 built for the purpose, with a broad platform overhanging 

 the stern. On this platform the fishermen stand and 

 squat, some with large pots full of live bait, and others 

 with stout rods and lines armed with a plain un- 

 barbed spoon-bait, made of white-metal cut into the 

 shape of a fish. When the galley, with her great 

 lug-sail of palm-leaf matting spread, is well under way, 

 the men in charge of the pots proceed to scatter the 

 live bait overboard, making as they do so a tremendous 

 splashing with their paddles so as to attract the tunnies, 

 who are supposed to mistake the noise for the move- 

 ments of a shoal of flying-fish. When the commotion 

 is at its height, the men with the rods and lines 

 cast their spoon-bait into the middle of it, where the 

 spoon is almost certain to be gorged by some reckless 

 tunny who has joined in the scramble for live bait. 

 When a fish is caught, no time is wasted in playing 



