i6o 
Wild Life in Southern Seas. 
it being the time of the year when they flocked 
over from Ponape to feed on a large red berry 
which is very plentiful just after the rainy 
season ; and, more than that, he said, we could 
witness a great dance and feast which was to 
take place on the lagoon beach that very 
evening. And then, as an additional attraction, 
he promised to send his boat’s crew out with 
me to fish for takuo. 
Now, although I had seen the takuo in 
Eastern Polynesia among the Tokelau and 
Phoenix Groups, I had often heard old traders 
in the North-West Pacific assert that the 
mighty fish was absolutely unknown in the 
Marshall and Caroline Archipelagoes. Doubt¬ 
ing the correctness of this, I had several times 
tried the deep water off the barrier reefs of 
Strong’s Island and Ponape—for I was very 
anxious to catch one of these ocean prizes—but 
without success. 
I soon learnt from Harry that they were 
very plentiful, not only about Ngatik (outside 
the reef), but in the lagoon of Providence 
Island—the Arrecifos of the old Spanish navi¬ 
gators. But the natives of Ngatik had them¬ 
selves never caught a takuo until they were 
