New-York tribune., 1884-11-16
USING A FISH AS A CANDLE.
YATURALisT's EXPEniENcE ~ BRITISH COLUMBIA
-UsRs uF the CANpL FISH.

NATURALisTs EXPERiENCE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
-UsKs OF the cANpL FISH.
"Turn out the gas" said naturalist, "and
Will show the latest thing in hight that Is. he added
" the latest thing In that lire In British Columbia
As the went the speaker unroIled several OBJ
Jcct. that had ancient and sh-ike smell" and srik
ing match touched moment later a clear, yellow
light appeared issuing from what looked like the mouth
Of fish, the caulal end Of which thrust into large
bronze candlestick
Yes" said the naturalist. at IL a nsh, and nothing
else tube oil Within only the fish just "a came
from the water. Take this paper and read line and
become one OF the very few who can
hoast that they have read by the
light OF dead herring"
The light was found equal that OF candle. and read
Ing by hsh light easy matter.
1t is curious" resumed the student OF nature. "but
have got that should man use himself az
candle I shouldn, be much surprised The use OF
fish a candle / first observed when on the north
shore Of British Columbia I made trip
all through the country for the purpose
of Obtaining skeleton Of the rare rhytina,
that was killed off about hundred years ago.
and ran other curious things well worth
knowing had lived in an Indian village nearly week
before heard anything about the candle-lsh. and one
beautiful moonlight night standing on the beach
when something that appeared exactly IKE the re-
lection OF the only It was In the wrong direction
called the cnton OF native to it and 1t seemed to
Ei4laetoa! as hard he could. and
in few minutes fifteen were on the
shore launching their canoes There much coniu
sion that couldn't learn what was the matter so
Jumped into OF the boats AMI of we went. There
were two men in Of the but ours One sat In
the stern and padded while the other stood In the DOW
with curiou looting instrument in his hand that had
not seen before 1t looked like an enormous rake or
comb made piece OF pine at least eight feet long with
a hole for hand grip at the top. the lower part
thinning of to edge into which were driven
sharp iron bone teeth from three
10 forr inches apart The evitent IT was
AN arrau cement for fishing The rppI" ad nocen OF
the water enormous school ~ fish. called y 'he
natives 'Euachon. and to surround them now seemed
The canoes were swiftly padded ont-1ntil they they
were all the outside of the h~h-and men they
rushed at them fu speed cach man wiehng III ni' 80 th
like scoop dashing II into the sparkling m oI hsh
| thick were they that the teeth OF the conn
| came up covered with impIcd fishes. These were
and So ON unti finally thc school driven In Shore
aud the excited natives lcaped into the water and rury
! phorc>ccrcc made them look ike molten silver ihc
h,h seemed 50 terrified aud dcmoralIed tn't ihaN a
huggrd the shore aud if the mcu had had net nN"a
uIi','s ,,bere thry only took thousands The boats
we're rapidly hlei. however. and in an honr
! the excitement was over, ana tc cin"'
we're hauled M on the lch by the exhausted fisher
men The re II morning early the boats were cpf"l on
the beach, aud the catch WAS handed overt0 me luaWs
, who took the entire matter of curing IN mana. lhry
seated thcmseye, about their respective piles ana YAK
inc stick. pointed ~ the ends. rapidly strung the fish
upon them by piercing them through the eyes. lhen
ticy were taken by chi dren and placed In " smoke at
the top Of their snels. ,li,r. lheTr toI WI
the n,h have flavor of wood smoke. They are packed
In nlS made of cedar bark ANA rnshr- "i N'il"s
kinds. They are men -t"w'd avn on q - % IT,
of hieh poles aud not touched un cold weather Ihe
native, c them In our tonsne candle il,l a. to' @ n"'
Prcylous TO this catch I had had no llshi, ent
aicr",G lo,o "E"op y ,. amd m took my note. ali ~
tho h.ht ~ the Eula' hon The ite h.l seems taiIly
| bubblng over win oil. 80 nuch =" that urea 10 ,S
One and turning away Tor few moments rcturnod u
hud tho back and other bones jumping hrou m 0' o
! TAT; the flesh had melted. lh' on J., H''n H "a
! medicine. IL keep. them warm ~ fuel, gives
! them light and the flesh Is u r'h food ~ ~
| nrc swallowed. When they burn them they take a
pointed stick, nscrt u M the ground ana ,lh" , r, ~ ~
There i. no trimming smoking aud when the light is
no Longer needed blown at ani the remainder of th
the surplus al made into oil that Is used for variety
Of puuo-e- 10y the natives nLAt 40 ,y 'Vm & thy b
go o the for their bottles wei as their OIL one
Of the great scnwceds grows on the coast has hol
low stalk that /. about large champagne bottle
these are cut IN lengths holding three piutS or more and
hled oil. The candle hsh Is allied to the sn' ana
| is known scientifically a. tho MaiIo'as Iaeytc,s,
! and in former days was found III tue
Sl Gniy The OF mouth 'f Of the coiam6a River is said
have been "A famous place for them but the great fac
tories and the steamers have gradually driven them
on that there are only few places comparatively
| speaking where great numbers can he found
- There is only thing in the way OF hSh that nave
ever seen to beat tins added the traveller lifting up
tho I,,I-
was almost impossible TO put 1t out ana that was III
! Africa where they used live fish doctor:
first observed this peculir cure praciSed on the On
Nlaabar River where went several years ago on col
rctu0 tour | was awakened one night by grOdis ana
cries and got m find that That child IN the adlon-
ING hut had been taken sick Upon going IN 10 see II
coId do any thing. lOund the women hllng IA giea,t
basin with water In which placed catfish the one
we know a-laaitDt ciecbcs which they TOOK IRON
! gourd that served aquarium into lhe water
The child was forced. Then II was
received shock was evident dropped the hsh and
/ scre,utad al ne lOuder. the made IL take
hnd OF il again whether il did any good or not aIn
| unable to say anyhow the ch:d stopped crying anu
| seemed bet ter; prrnAp, the FISH henutlbed H.
..Ibcn il was electric T. SAID the visitor.
Certainly" the reply, IL was the electric cat
fish common in African rivers. When first taken they
/ give unite a powerful shock. The next morning
made some injuries and found that the catfish was
sort OF African soothing syrup given To babies quite reS
larlv and any else who happened to need dose
A. soon a. "A native child began To complain tiD was
ont and several of the fish caught. II they were
not an hand and he child made To get IN ana pay
with The nsh Not only did they do 1t to cure the sos,
| but I'm ne tribes the mothers when Washing uleI
| infants in the morning. invariably male inrih
tako n shock by touching the hSh; thiS,
they said made The babe grow to strong man. no
children however. strongly objected to IT, ana me yes
and -ulia ling when the fishes we're brought out was
arualing The children also made to drink the
rueiv i. a yrr,bI cure a H. and Dc taken external
! u or internally .ls The case may be-
STORES UNDER The BRIDGE