122 
Wild Life in Southern Seas. 
the same moment a tremendous splash astern 
shows that the prize is hooked. 
In an instant the paddlers reverse their 
positions, and face toward the man holding 
the line. The bow of the canoe has now 
become the stern, and the man that has 
previously paddled on the forward thwart be¬ 
comes the steersman. For the pala is strong, 
and gives a canoe a long run before he is 
exhausted enough to let a bowline be slipped 
over his lengthy body. Away goes the canoe 
with the speed of a bird on the wing, and 
the man holding the line takes a turn round 
the thwart to prevent the rough cinnet from 
cutting his fingers. Suddenly the strain ceases, 
and the line is pulled in ; the pala has paused. 
But only for a few seconds, for his great 
crescent-shaped tail rises out of the water, and 
then he “ doubles,” or “ mills ” as whalemen 
say, and darts back at a terrific speed. With 
deft hands the line is passed to the other end 
of the craft again—for there is no time to 
slew a canoe when fastened to a pala —and 
away she goes. Fortunately, the sea is gener¬ 
ally smooth; were it otherwise the canoe would 
ship so much water that it would be swamped, or 
