The Rugby news. (Rugby, Morgan County, Tenn.) 1890-189?, 1890-11-15
FISHING WITH CORMORANTS.
One of the Queer Things Seen by an Artist
in Japan.

iST'iNA VII n SSn"ONHN'S ~
One of the Queer Things Seen by an Artist
in Japan.
At no great distance from us, perhaps
at quarter of mile, light flickered
over the water. On our approach we
could distinguish a man connected with
it, who apparently walked on the dark
surface. He was evidently fisherman
or shrimper, and his movements had
all the strangeness of some long-legged
aquatic bird. He knew his path, and,
far out, followed some track of ford,
adding to the loneliness as does crane
in a marshy landscape. Then l saw
him no more, for he headed up the rivor
toward an opening between the hills.
Suddenly a haze of light rounded the
corner OF the nearest mountain, then
grew into line of fire coming toward
course, and our own against it, came the
beating of cry in unison. The line Of
flame broke into many fires, and we
could see the boats rushing down
upon us. AS quickly as can write
1t came in an even line,
wide apart-perhaps fifty feet or So
enough for us to pass between, where
upon we reversed our movement and
drifted along with them. In the front
OF each boat hung upon a bent pole,
blazed large cresset filled with pine
knots, making above cloud of smoke,
starred with sparks and long needles of
red cinders. Below in the circle of each
light, and on its outer rim, swan many
birds, glossy black and white cormo-
rants, straining so at the cords that held
them that they appeared to be dragging
the boats. AS they spread like a fan
before the dark shadow of the bows the
cords which fastened them glistened or
were black in the light. Each string
ran through the fingers of the master
fisher at the bows, and was fastened to
his waist and lost in the glittering
straw of his rain-skirt. Like four
finland driver, he seemed to feel
his birds movements. His fin.
gers loosened or frightened, Or,
as suddenly, with clutch pulled back.
Then came a rebelious fluttering an6
the white glitter of fish in the beaks dis
appeared-unavailingly; each bird wa:
d .forQibly drawn up toEthe gunwale, ant
seized by the neck encircled by it
string bearing collar Then a squeez
"a white fish glittered out again an(
was thrown back into the boat. The birt
scuttled away, dropped back into the wa
ter, and shaking itself, was at work again
They swan with necks erect, their eye
looking apparently over every thing
and so Indifferent to small matters al
to allow the big cinders to lie unnoticet
on their oily fiat heads. But every few
seconds one would stoop down, ther
throw back it's head wildly with a fisl
crosswise in it's mouth. When that fisl
was small one it was allowed by tht
master of the bird to remain in thu
capacious gullet. Each pack guided
by master varied in numbers, but
counted thirteen fastened to the wais
of the fisherman nearest to us. BEHIND
him stood another polling; then farthe
back an apprentice, with one single
bird, was learning to manage his feath
cred tools. In the stern stood thu
steersman using a long pole. Ever,
man shouted as huntsmen encouraging
pack. Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!''-malins
the cry whose rhythm we had hear'
when the fotilla bore down upon u.s.
,{nr of hN,,
more, passed as we kept alongside witt
motionless celebrity. l tried to sketcl
in the insufficient Matchmaking some
times one sketch right upon another
so little could I see my lines in tn
treacherous light Then the boat
swerved off and were driven to tn
shore together, or as far as we could ge
to it, in the shallow water-John L
Fargo, in Century.