TRAVELS IN- 
106 
awakening to my cares, I turned about, and in the 
evening regained our camp. 
On my return, I found fome of my companions 
fiffiing for trout, round about the edges of the float- 
ing nymphsea, and not unfuccefsfully, having then 
caught more than fufficient for us all. As the me- 
thod of taking thefe fiffi is curious and fmgular, I 
fhall juft mention it. 
They are taken with a hook and line, but with- 
out any bait. Two people are in a little canoe, one 
fitting in the ftern to fteer, and the other near the 
bow, having a rod ten or twelve feet in length, to 
one end of which is tied a ftrong line, about twenty 
inches in length, to which are fattened three large 
hooks, back to back. Thefe are fixed very fecurely, 
and covered with the white hair of a deer's tail, 
ihreds of a red garter, and fome particoloured fea- 
thers, all which form a tuft, or taffel, nearly as 
large as one’s fift, and entirely cover and conceal 
the hooks : this is called a bob. The fteerfman 
paddles foftly, and proceeds flowly along fhore, 
keeping the boat parallel to it, at a diftance juft 
fufficient to admit the fiffierman to reach the edge 
of the floating weeds along fhore; he now ingeni- 
oufly fwings the bob backwards and forwards, juft 
above the furface, and fornetimes tips the water 
with it; when the unfortunate cheated trout in- 
ftantly fprings from under the weeds, and feizes the 
fuppofed prey. Thus he is caught without a pofli- 
bility of efcape, unlefs he break the hooks, line, or 
rod, which he, however, fornetimes does by dint of 
ftrength; but, to prevent this, the fiffierman ufed 
to the fport is careful not to raife the reed fuddenly 
up, but jerks it inftantly backwards, then fteadily 
drags the fturdy relu&ant fifh to the fide of the 
canoe. 
