106 
Fishing Dangers. 
already described, squirmed tlieir way out over the mud, to usually 
some 100 to 200 feet wherever the bird happened to be stuck fast. Often 
enough, the mud closed well in over the entire body, leaving only ex- 
posed the black head pressing forwards to its goal, or else the bird, 
with its last vanishing effort, took to further flight: nothing however 
could tire the eager pursuer, who shortly pushed ahead until he caught 
the fugitive in his teeth, and so returned with it to the bank. A sliding 
match like this has something so awfully funny about it for a specta- 
tor that I have often rolled ou the ground doubled up with laughter. 
365. The Cancroma cochlea via (canoe-bill) and lovely sunbird 
(Eunjpyga Ilelias 111.) were just as numerous as the different ducks, 
while the brilliant flamingo, dragging its way in a long series high 
above us, excited my covetousness afresh but without any success: on 
the other hand our fishing was richly rewarded every evening, for we 
never withdrew our lines without a catch. A sheat-fish, Bagrits mesops 
Vahl., of moderate size showed itself particularly greedy. I noticed 
that whenever the Indians pulled in their line with 'this fish they 
always struck it a heavy blow on the ventral and dorsal fins. As I sub- 
sequently learnt on closer inspection, they did this to destroy at once 
the peculiar fin-rays that are supplied with small barbs acting as ef- 
fective weapons of defence, for if the fisherman imprudently holds the 
fish in his hands before these are destroyed, he is sure to get damaged 
by them: the wounds produced are not only extremely painful of 
themselves but generally set up considerable swelling and inflamma- 
tion as Stöckle unfortunately had to learn by experience. 
36G. With the onset of evening all of us generally used to hurry 
down to the beach with our lines and the pleasure of angling which he 
had hitherto disdained, was soon aroused in Stockle's breast. He de' 
clared that as a youngster he had indeed regretted the time spent on 
fishing by the other boys in his native town, on which account he had 
probably employed his own in better amusements, but here there was 
no other entertainment for him and so in old age he was willing to do 
that which he had despised in youth. Within a short while, he suc- 
ceeded in pulling out a moderately sized B a finis which suddenly how- 
ever freed itself from the hook and was quickly making for the water. 
Stimulated by the general laughter, the novice, now becoming vexed, 
threw himself upon the creature, but seizing it firmly with both hands, 
immediately jumped up again as if he had gone crazy: abandoning the 
chase he ran about like mad, screaming and wailing, with both arms 
swaying up and down. On finally bringing him to a standstill we 
noticed two wounds ou the ball of the right hand, which soon began 
to swell and inflame so badly that the inconvenience had hardly disap- 
peared six days after. Since then Stöckle had a keen aversion for 
angling in consequence of which I could never prevail upon him to 
catch hold of a fish before I had done so myself. A few days later these 
creatures came close in shore in such quantities, that! there was no 
necessity for throwing out lines: our Indians just waded a few steps 
into the water and with long sticks struck into the dense shoals until 
they killed as many as were required for supper. 
