FISHING CANOE. 
149 
the birds, as much as that of the fishes, when the 
fishermen perceive the birds, they proceed to the 
place, and usually find the fish. The undulation 
of the waves occasions the canoe to rise and sink 
as they proceed, and this produces a corresponding 
motion in the hook suspended from the mast; 
and so complete is the deception, that if the fish 
once perceives the pearl-shell hook, it seldom fails 
to dart after it; and if it misses the first time, is 
almost sure to be caught the second. As soon as 
the fish is fast, the men in the canoe, by drawing 
the cord, hoist up the tira, and drag in the fish, 
suspended as it were from a kind of crane. When 
the fish is removed, the crane is lowered; and as 
it projects over the stem of the canoe, the rowers 
hasten after the shoal with all possible celerity. 
During the rainy season, or on the occurrence 
of a flood, when the rivers are swollen and rapid, 
discolouring the water of the sea to a great extent, 
a number of large fish approach the mouths of 
the rivers, for the purpose of preying on the eels 
and other fresh-water fish carried dgwn in the 
torrent; at such seasons the fishermen are on the 
alert, and usually return from the sea richly laden 
These, and a variety of other methods of fishing, 
are pursued by day-light; but many fish are taken 
by night: sometimes the fishery is carried on by 
moon-light, occasionally in the dark, but fishing 
by torch-light is the most picturesque. The 
torches are bunches of dried reeds firmly tied toge¬ 
ther. Sometimes they pursue their nocturnal sport 
on the reef, and hunt the totara , or hedge-hog fish. 
Large parties often go out to the reef; and it is a 
beautiful sight to behold a long line of rocks illu¬ 
minated by the flaring torches. These the fisher¬ 
men hold in one hand, and stand with the poised 
