The Takuo. 169 
strong enough to hold a full-grown porpoise 
—the strongest and swiftest fish I know. 
Six months later, when we were again cruising 
through this magnificent group of islands, we 
anchored at the lovely and fertile Kusaie 
(Strong’s Island), the eastern outlier of the 
archipelago, and a resident trader there told 
us of a novel experience that had befallen him 
a week previously. He and some natives had 
set off in a canoe to look for turtle when they 
saw a huge lagoon takuo following them. Not 
having a line on board of sufficient strength to 
hold such a fish, one of the natives suggested 
that the turtle spear would do instead—they 
could entice him close enough to drive it into 
him. The line attached to the spear—a heavy 
piece of iron with an old-fashioned V-shaped 
barb — was about thirty fathoms long, and 
strong enough for any purpose. Some small fish 
were thrown overboard, and these were quickly 
snapped up by the takuo , which was very daring 
and hungry. In a few minutes he came quite 
close to the canoe, and opened his huge mouth 
to seize a piece of fish trailed along the surface 
by the white man, and at the same moment the 
native who held the turtle spear darted his 
