The bee., 1883-06-16
Peculiar Fishing neYfcns.

Among fishing devices of the Chi
nese are dip-nets, large squares OF
netting extended on a IRAN work OF
bamboo, which is weighted and sus-
pended from pole that has to lie al
ternately raised and lowered cit Ter
from bank or Loaf, and brings up
each time all the fish that may have
be n passing over it. The caSting-net
is very fam liar. bat China is its pc
culiar home; and is there used in
varying siz, S by men and children OF
all ages. A more original method of
capturing fish Is that pursued by what
are known at Swatow as Isl pper-
boats." These craft are generally
twenty-five feet long and eighteen
inches wide, and they fish in couples,
moored side br side, on bright moon
light nights, th ir only imp ement. of
capture being white boa d fastene |
along the outer side of each. This
board catches the bright rays of the
moon, and the fish, who would seem
TO be of conf ing disposition in this
portion of the empirl, are said to mis-
/
their native element into the slipper
bca's IN large nun bers. lnnumerable
devices OF this character pecul ar to the
country are here on show in the
Ch.ne.e annex. This would seem to
be branch of the industry naturally
commenting Itself TO the minds of a
people who have been un.yer ally
credited with more than ordinary
amount of cunning. Their fish traps
are, moreover, manifold and varied,
and of The highest workmanship and
utility. In the. British Isles this is a
means Of taking fish practically un-
known and unpracticed. with the eX
ception Of our stereJtypad eel and
Holster pots: hut the Cnfnes9 devote
! themselves largely to these stragetic
methods Of fishing, and with an unyary-
ing success that nothing but the
boundless fertility of their rivers ard
seas coud explain or withstand. The
day wiliperhapS come when Western
ideas WI penetrate sufficiently there
to insuis the suppression Of wholesale
fish poisoning and such like fatal
poachiny arrangements for the capture
Of smalIfiy as are rather too candidly
exhibited lere but at present we cal
only admie, perhaps with a tinge of
detection, he hundred and one devices
employed n a land where, though
every for Of unsportsmanlike de-
! struction rampant, the fish supply
l seems to r;lain as abundant and ac-
q cesSible asyer.
t CormOrsGi are another means en-
e ploytd by e Chinese on lakes and the
!, sha lower seets of water for taking
4 fish. Th sluatic species of hawking
e is of very d date and was known
: and practitl in England, whittier it
/ Doubt IS vs. imported from the East,
d two centuHs ago. But it is fo!lowe
d with succe only 10y the painstaking
n Celestial. lhe birds, which have TO
9 undergo guiar training, are taken
Y out in a ht, and before the work
d commend Is strap or ling is placed
e round eaclcormorant'S til, at suffi-
e ciently tigito reyent itS swallowing
= any fish il ny catch. in its strongly
/ hooked bea but not SO tight as to pre-
l. vent resp ton. The dark-winged
/ fishermen nen go off and cater for
-e ther mast with success and regu-
, laritr, b .4nf,ewarded With an occa-
d siunaI fish ! CT they are perm tt to
y swal ow VIII tie strap has be n r.
'e moved. Ave al things ChineS
1t are a frug nation, making use of
.,S ,..a,,1l ,,,ooE ,,-ifL o,,I;
is nary content in any other country.
it The dis, aed shark represents
D. to them valuable supply of
Is food. The go to form the we'll
le known souIOr are Used in the pre-
is paration of ,elatine; while the skin,
re after being leaned and prepar d.
> serves for coring sword handles and
ID for Yariousnther ornamental pur-
lr poses. Eyenle cuttle-foh, a creature
e. repulsive toisherm n of most other
ID nations, is tIpb ect of clreful uisuit
5 with nets anlints by Chinaman at a
t time when oIr work is ack; and
y carefully drl and packed in bales
> commands a lRdy sale all through the
IN fowery land. 'he oyster, also, and its
re pearl-bearingl ;ndred, the Chinese
Is musse', a-e nC merely looked upon as
e. GaintieS. Tho5h cultivated with skill!
l. and science asuch in the first place
Il their refuse Ills are burnt for lime
s. and while stilfving they are induced
s. to secrete thelard white substance
D. which is so 9hly valueI for its
n beauty and scdty all over the world.
p. London z'efGph.