BONITO FISHING 197 



him, but he is swung on board by main strength in 

 defiance of all the traditions of the gentle craft. We 

 were told that on a good day, when the tunnies are 

 biting well, a single smack will bring in several hundred 

 fish. The tunnies — or, to be exact, the bonitos — when 

 brought to land are cut up into gobbets, which are 

 simply dried in the sun, without, as far as I could see, 

 being pickled in salt ; and very unattractive these lumps 

 of dried fish look, for bonito's flesh is almost as red 

 as beef, and dries black, nor is its odour quite the thing 

 for a delicate nose. The fresh fish boiled is not what 

 I should call a luxury : it has a nice crushed-strawberry 

 colour very pleasant to the eye, but no one except a 

 sailor would call it good for food. 



The need for live bait for catching tunnies gives 

 rise to a further subdivision of labour ; for not only 

 has the bait, which consists of fish fry, to be got 

 hold of in plenty, but it has also to be kept alive 

 until it is required for use. For the latter purpose, 

 large floating cages of fine wickerwork are made for 

 the housing of the fry, and are moored in the lagoon, 

 so that the captive fry can live quite happily until 

 they are wanted. These cages are as large as, but 

 much deeper than, a jolly-boat, and as there are a 

 great many of them, their manufacture and repair 

 must give employment to a good many hands. 



Having glanced at the island and its polity, we 

 may next take a cursory look at the individual inhabi- 



