Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1889-12-13
Catching Fish in Central America.

WTitlnS lron Tie City VI Oan-CatFa-
dor, Central America, correspondent
of the New York Times says: While
along the coast the most difficult article
TO purchase is a fresh fish, the Indians
of the Lempa river depend upon it to
vary their diet of beans and bananas,
and venture to say that three. fifths of
them have never tasted beef, which,
poor as it is in the country, is far be-
yond the reach of their pockets. In
the method of securing fish they are
not genuine sportsmea, but the rankest
kind of pot-hunters. Staying over
night at village learned that what is
called ''chlpatc' fishing was to take
place the next day, which the propric-
tor of the tavern assured me was worth
seeing. Board, in most of the hotels,
is only 70 cents per day for MN and
mule, and, concluding nothing would
be lost if the sport proved to be
failure, lay over. Immediately below
little falls in the river the natives had
placed at an early hour network of
branches closely woven in and out like
lattice work, and bound with willow
withes. Above the rapids, in deep
pools, were the feeding aud spawnin
grounds of many varieties of fish, aud
a variety called the 'cuyamal," f" which,
when full grown, weighs twelve and
eighteen pounds, was known TO have a
liking for the spot. Wnel the network
was completed about a dozen women
entered the stream from above, carrying
large earthen pots containing strong
solution of a vine called "chilpate,"
which resembles the Bermuda plant,
made by merely mashing the leaves to
palp in warm water. 1t has the
quality when mixed with rrnn ing water
Of stupefying the fish, causing them TO
float hel plessly drunk on the surface of
the water, as if shocked with the ex-
plosion of gun cotton, as done by the
| frontiersmen in our Western country
When carried down by the current they
are picked up by hand by the men who
station themselves at the network be-
low.
At given signal that ali is ready at
the dam the women, jump into the
swift water, casting the solution right
and left, while advancing down stream
as line of skirmishers. In anticipa-
| ton of the feast to succeed the catch,
''marim ba" players place themselves on
the bank, the women keeping step to
the music and throwing the mixture in
accurate time, remin ding one of the
advance of the chorus girls on the
comic opera stage. The water was
soon colored to a milky white, which
| smoothed the surface like oil. In few
moments the water was again troubled
by the fish, as the drug affected them.
There were all kinds of drunks-some
nervously so, others sleepily so, Others
dead drunk, and some only slightly in
toxicated, but all so unwary as to be
bagged at the network, where the quick
work of catching the great numbers
and throwing them on the bank kept
three or four dozen swarthy natives
busy. The drug is not permanent in
its effect, and the little ones thrown
back into the stream soon recuperated
and swan away no more affected than
one who has tried laughing gas.
, Among the lot was fine species of
| speckled trout, but salmon colored, like
those west of the Rocky Mountains,
and any sad thoughts over the manner
in which they were taken were dispclled
while discussing the fry an hour or two
| later.