TAME OTTERS. 
21 7 
in length, its breadth eight ; its flooring composed of 
stout bamboos, connected by coir rope, with a net- 
work hand-rail on either side, also of coir, as are the 
shrouds and principal tackling which support the whole. 
The appearance of the bridge is light and graceful, and 
its motion on passing over it not sufficient to be either 
dangerous or alarming/’ From this description it 
will be seen that Mr. Shakspear has only improved 
upon the rope bridges of the Hindoos of northern 
India. 
The river Alacananda, over which the rope bridge 
represented in the engraving is thrown, by its junc- 
tion with another considerable stream twelve miles 
west from Serinagur, forms the Ganges. Above the 
junction there are numerous large fish, upwards of 
four feet in length, daily fed by Brahmins. They 
swim to the water’s edge, and take their food 
from the hands of their protectors, who will not 
allow them to be caught. They will eat bread or 
rice, and allow their noses to be touched with the 
finger. There is likewise in the same river a species 
of fish nearly as large as a small shark, being occa- 
sionally more than seven feet long, and remarkably 
beautiful both in form and colour. It is caught and 
eaten by the natives, being very delicate and of an 
extremely fine flavour. 
The Hindoos have a singular mode of taking fish 
here as well as in many parts of the Ganges by means 
of tame otters, which swim round the shoals and 
drive their prey into nets, frequently seizing the 
finest in their teeth and taking them on shore to their 
masters. They are as tame as dogs, and act with a 
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