118 
Wild Life in Southern Seas. 
Then, as if by magic, the sea is dark again, 
and in place of the loud laughter and shouts, a 
sudden silence. Every torch is out, the paddles 
are taken up again, and for a few minutes the 
canoes paddle quietly along with noiseless 
stroke. Away towards the northern end of 
the land a bright circle of lights appear, and 
faint cries are borne across the water as the 
other half of the fleet plies its scoops among 
the fish. Another ten minutes pass, and then 
again the torches of the southern fleet flame 
out, and the scoops strike the water and swirl 
about ahead, astern, and on each side. At last 
the leading man calls out : 
“ It is enough, friends. Our canoe is half 
filled. How is it with thee ? ” 
“ Enough, enough ! Let us now fish for 
tau-tau .” 
So off they paddle shoreward, where the 
waiting women meet them on the beach, and 
fill their baskets with flying-fish. Then, keep¬ 
ing perhaps twenty or so for bait, each canoe 
once more paddles out into the darkness to fish 
for tau-tau , palu, and takuo till the morning. 
Let me attempt to describe what these fish 
are like, and the method in use for catching them. 
