Deep-Sea Fishing in Polynesia. 
127 
variety of parrot-fish and other rock-haunters. 
Here and there, in the deep holes and strange, 
weird-looking chasms that everywhere break 
open the crust of reef, deep down below, hawk- 
bill turtles, swim lazily to and fro, and above 
them prowl the great grey ocean sharks, waiting 
for the night to come, and turning lazily about, 
with green, malevolent eyes, to watch some 
turtle, more daring than his fellows, venture 
out from the protection of his rocky hole or 
cavern. Then, besides the big grey sharks, 
there are others—blue, hammer-heads, and the 
savage little white and brown tiger shark. 
These give more trouble to the canoes than the 
big fellows, for they are so swift and active 
that once they assemble beneath a canoe it is 
impossible to haul a fish up through them. 
Only in the daytime is it possible for 
any one to fish on the Tia Kau; at night it 
would simply mean risking a horrible death 
from the sharks for any one who would be rash 
enough to attempt it alone in a frail canoe ; 
and even in a stout boat fishing in such waters 
after dark is by no means unattended with risk. 
