Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-11-13
FIshINe wlTA coRMoRANTs.
One of the Queer Things Seen by an Arsst
 in Japan.

One of tho Queer Things Seen by an ArAsst
 in Japan.
 At no great distance from us, perhaps 1t Q quarter of mile, light fiickered over the water. On our approach we could distinguish 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 a crane in a marshy landscape. Then I saw him no more, for he headed up the riVor toward an opening between the hills. Suddenly haze of light rounded the corner of the nearest mountain, then grew into line of fire coming toward us. Above the rustic of the rivers 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 I can write it 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 a cloud of smoke, starred with sparks and long needles of red cinders. Below in tho circle of each light, and on it's 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 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 a four | in-hand driver, he seemed to feel his birds movements. His fin gers loosened or frightened, or, I as suddenly, with a clutch pulled back. Then came a rebelious futtering, and the white glitter of fish in the beal1s dis appeared-unavailin each bird was | forcibly drawn up to the gunwale, and | seized by the neck encircled by it's | string-bearing collar. Then a squeeze "a white fish glittered out again and was thrown back into the boat. The bird scuttled away, dropped back into the wa ter, and shaking itself, was at work again. They swan with necks erect. their eyes looking apparently over every thing, and so indifferent to small matters as to allow the big binders to lie unnoticed on their oily flat heads. But every few seconds one would stoop down, then throw back it's head wildly with fish crosswise in it's mouth. When that fish was a small one it was allowed by the master of the biI to remain in the capacious gullet. Each pack guided | by master varied in numbers, but counted thirteen fastened to the waist of the fisherman nearest to us. Behind him stood another polling; then farther back an apprentice, with one single bird, was learning to manage his feath- cred tools. In the stern stood the steersman using a long polo. Every man shouted. as huntsmen encouraging pack. "Hoo! Hoo! Hoop'-making the cry whose rhythm we had heard when the fotilla bore down upon us.
 Ten minutes, a quarter of an hour more, passed as we kept alongside with motionless celerity. I tried to sketch in the insufficient light-making some- times one sketch right upon another, so little could see my lines in the treacherous light Then the boats swerved off and were driven to the shore together, or as far as we could get to it, in the shallow water-John La Farge, in Century.