Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-03-31


quarrels arose, and the tank was de-
spoiled by an enemy, and nearly all the
fsh were stolen, and then the weeds were
allowed to grow unchecked until they
became such tangled mass that il was
almost impossible to land fsh even If it
were hooked in some clear spot.
Fish that are kept in tanks have an
enemy in the crocodile, who will make
his way through any old fence, and even
over low mud wall. 70 get at his favorite
food. Generally speaking, the croco-
dies live and breed near the large rivers,
having their hiding places and nests for
their eggs in the high river-banks. But
n crocodile, guided by its instinct, will
make long journey, sometimes more
than mile overland, to get at some tank
stocked with fine. fat fish. Presumably
no finds 1t easier to catch fish within
the limited area OF tank or pond
than in the broad. open river and in oil
probability the tsnk-fish is terrified out
OF its senses at the appearance OF the
strange monster, and is too dazed to get
away. The poor, foolish fish also suffer
in q somewhat similar way when q flock
OF pelicans alight on their tank. Ii l
had not seen it should have hesitatel
to tell the tale. But one day, from our
house on the top of little hill at Chit
TAGGING, | and Major Graham saw q
flock OF gray relicans alight on large
tank at the foot of our hill. We
thought that the pelicans seemed very
busy, apparently feeding, and with the
help Of our glasses we could see them
devouring the fish as rapidly as they
could put their bills into the water. The
natives say that the pelican has certain
perfume or scent in it's feathers or skin
which is irresistioily attractive to the
fish. However this may be, so far as we
could see the fish came spontaneously
TO the pelicans, and were gobbled up
INCREASINGLY.
There is form OF fishing much prac-
ticed by the natives OF Bengal for which
envied them, though | was unable to
initiate them. They are most dexterous
in the use Of the cssting-net. The pas
senger on the railway, as he travels
through the inundated country on
either side of the line, may see many a
tiny boat, made Of the hollow trunk OF
q palm-tree, with two men in ii. One
Of them sits in the stern, and with his
paddle quietly propels the boat. The
other stands erect in the bow, with his
casting. net ready for cast the moment
that his quick eye detects the motion
of a good fish or Of . shoal OF lit
tie ones. 1t is hardly necessary TO say
that ho is very scantily clad, and the
muscles stand out over his well-knit
frame in a snaps which sculptor might
gladly copy. If the educated natives
ever take to sculpture they could hardly
fini more picturesque model than the
fisherman with his casting-net. Our
best fishermen in England might envy
the skill and precision with which the
net is cast. Nor is it wonderful that the
natives attain such skill in casting.
They have been trained to it from their
youth up, and scarcely day passes that
they do not spend several hours in
practice. Perhaps the most astonishing
thing is how they preserve their balance
and do not upset the boat when casting
the net, for the boat is merely the round
trunk OF q palm tree without any sort OF
keel, and many an Englishman who has
tried a venture in one of these dug outs,
as they are called, has found the treach-
erous bark turn round and upset him
into the water. After long apprentice
ship / obtained some skill in padding
myself along in O dug-out, and have
fired many slet from one sitting down,
but it was never within my power to
stand up and attempt to fire gun or to
throw q casting-net from them.
If our superior civilization has now
taught us to eat fish with special knives
and forks, in suppression OF the fork
and bit of bread with which in former
DAYS we chased the evasiye morsels on
our plate, it must be admitted that, after
ali, natures implements, our fingers and
thumbs, are the best suited for eating
bony fish. 1t has often been my fate to
watch my native boatmen eating their
meals of rice and fish, and it was won
derful to see how deity they picked out
the bones, or as they call them in their
own language, the thorns. Many
fish have superabundance of
bones, as We well know to our
cost, but the delicate fingers of ma
tive seem to be sensitive to the touch OF
the almost invisible little points or
spines. | will here venture to tell
rather curious caste story as regards
Hindoo boatmen and fsh-eating. One
morning soon after daylight | was being
towed along in my house-boat, and was
looking out of the window from the
berth IN my cabin, when the boat
rounded rather sharp bend in the river
bank. As the crackers turned the point
they came upon fisheagle, which was
Just beginning to devour large fish
that he had caught The eagle at
tempted to fly off with his prey. but in
his hurry he dropped it, and the boat.
men picked it up. They had a brief
consultation, apparently to satisfy
themselves whether L or any of my
servants could have seen what had hap
pened and, thinking that it was all
safe. they put the fish on board the boat,
and it was presently prepared for their
mroning meal. | said nothing ct the
time and told nobody but some days
afterward, when one Of the boatmen was
making SUNS luSS hOOub lib Choto, l. III
quired, sarcastically, what was the caste
of fsh-eagle. The boatmen said no.
thing more about their caste on that
journey. 1 should. perhaps. explain
that it is not permissible by the rules
of Hindoo caste, in the matter of eating
and drinking, to touch a fish that has
been killed and torn by bird OF prey.
Let me now try to describe some OF
the Indigenous fishermen of Eastern
Bengal, with the boats and nets which
thew use in their vocation. Any one
seeing them for the first time might
imagine that he had fallen in with set
OF those cannibals and savsges who are
pictured in books OF travel among the
islands OF the Pacific Archipelago. Their
boats are huge canoes, about 100 feet
long and four or five broad. A long
carved PROV projects for several feet,
while the stern rises uD into q
high platform, on which the cap
tam or sherman stands erect,
with the large steering oar in his