42 
FISHES. 
The presence of these birds is so sure an indica- 
tion of the position of the fish, that the fisher- 
men hasten to the spot where they are seen hover- 
ing in the air. The canoe skims rapidly along, 
rising and falling on the waves, by which a similar 
motion is communicated to the hook, which skips 
along, sometimes out and sometimes in the water, 
while the plumes of feathers flutter immediately 
above. The artifice rarely fails to succeed ; if 
the Bonito perceives the hook, he instantly en- 
gages in pursuit, and if he misses his grasp, per- 
severes until he has seized it. The moment the 
man in the stern perceives the capture, he hoists 
the crane, and the fish is dragged in, and thrown 
into a sort of long basket, suspended between the 
two canoes. The crane is then lowered again, 
and all is ready for another candidate.^ 
The use of the hook and line with us may be 
considered as divided into two branches ; in the 
one these implements are employed as a trade, 
in the other as a sport. Several of our valua- 
ble fisheries are carried on almost exclusively 
with the hook ; for example, Cod, Haddock, 
Whiting, Hake, Ling, Coalfish, Pollock, and 
other Fishes, all belonging to the great and im- 
portant Cod family {GadidcE), are taken in this 
manner, as well as the Turbot, Plaice, Flounder, 
and most other Flat-fish {Pleuronectidce). There 
are two modes of line-fishing, neither of which 
requires the use of a rod. The first is by long 
lines, deep sea-lines, or bulters, as they are vari- 
ously called, consisting of a strong line of great 
length, with an anchor at one end and a buoy- 
rope at the other. At regular distances along 
* “The Ocean.” 
