FISHING “MAZES.” 97 
One evening when the sea was perfectly calm, 
we hailed a man who was approaching the shore 
to take us out to some fishing " mazes.” These 
mazes consist of lines of close bamboo palisades, 
which terminate in deep water in a circular 
well, where fish that have entered during high 
tide are enclosed and captured, escape being 
prevented by the ebb. On these palisades a 
species of water-bird, of which H. was anxious 
to get a specimen, settles every evening. There 
is always, even in calmest seas, a slight surf on 
the shore, and there is no time to lose if you 
will catch a boat when it comes in on a wave 
before it recedes again. There was just room 
for us both ; the rower had to perch himself at 
the stern, where he propelled the boat with a 
single oar. It was not a very comfortable sail, 
but we were thoroughly compensated. The 
narrow skiff cuts the water without dimming 
the surface by ripples, the oar disturbs only the 
water behind, and in a calm sea the wonders of 
the sea- gardens can be seen to perfection. I 
was fairly excited with delight. I too could 
say that “ the reality exceeded the most glowing 
accounts I had ever read of the wonders of a 
coral sea.” Such wondrous forms of aqueous 
life, sprays and spikes, clusters and wreaths of 
G 
