The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-09-13
FISHING CORMORANTS.
How the Chinese Utilize tho Bird
Getting a String.
A Pleasant and Profitable Paseirs n
Which the Disciples OF Confncius
Are Always Willing to Enc
gage.

''The Americans love to 60 fishing
for sport" said an educas Cinnamon
to New York Commerce Advertiser
reporter II wonder that solne of the
sports of Long Island ana IS waters
have not thought of adop. g the Chi
nese idea, which IS not port but
thrifty industry in the great rivers and
canals of China 1t is valued at mil
lions year"
The Chinese fishermen who live in
households in the harbor of Hong Kong
and along the great canals utilize the
cormorant and train him just as a setter
dog is trained to stand" game birds
The cormorant is = voraeious fshec-
man, and the gullet of the bird is OF a
character that permits IL to swallow
fish of considerable size headforemost
He pursues his prev benec-h tire v-2tey
like the otter. and the address - - -. :,
he dives and the pertinacity with which
he hunts his quarry is only equaled by
the rapidity of his evolutions under the
surface.
In his Wild state when he catches a
fish transversely he rises to the surface
and jerks the fish into the air, catching
it in the right position for swallowing
when it descends. Ravenous as the
cormorant is, it is easily tanned, and be-
comes as attached and familiar with its
friends as chicken who scratches in
the bread-tray Col. Selby, an English Of
ficer who captured youngstsr and
reared him In his bungalow, writes in q
private letter that his bird. which was
handsome cock, had got trouble
somely tame" II would waddlc after
him with its uneouth. inturned feet and
sometimes would surprise him by
alighting at his heels aftsr fight of a
mile and paddle after hirn to a meeting
of the officers association of the regi-
ment with the most absolute assur-
ance that he had right TO go wherever
his master went lie cared nothing for
the dogs and cats around the bungalow,
and would walk in and ont along the
passages. a monarch OF all he surveyed.
The Chinese train and order the cor
morant as the falcon was trained in
medieval ages, not for sport, but for
profit. They are kept in a dark room
on the junk, and are started TO work be-
fore sunrise. A small leather thong is
tied around the neck so that they cam
not swallow the fish that they catch.
The birds are then thrown into the
river and presently dive after their
prey. Soon a bird will come to the
surface struggling with big fellow
probably twice his weight. At the call
of his master he viii come to the junk,
bringing his booty, and is as eager TO go
after another as is a retriever TO fetch
chip.
The use of the cormorant as fsher-
man dates back almost to Confucius'
empire. They were imported by the
Hollanders in the sixteenth century for
use in the dihcs where they made noble
sport for the royal hunters Of those
days. William of Orange carried them
with him to England and furnished
great sport at Hampton court. Even
before they had been known N Eng
land, Wbitelocll says he had a cast OF
them manned like hawks which would
come to hand. These were presented
to him by Master Wood. who was the
trainer Of cormorants to Charles !.
at the present day the bird is bred
and trained to fish and bring its prey
even without Ggature around its neck
The boats and RATS built for this
especial kind Of fishery have in ooops
ten or dozen trained birds, and 1T is
astonishing to see the size Of the FISH
which they bring back in their beaks-
Mark you," said the Chinaman,
these birds may be thoroughly ac-
climated in America. They are very
common in the waters south OF the
Chesapeake bay. / should think the
swells who go trolling for bluefsh or
casting swivel chains for Staten island
sharks would have lots of fun If they
would only import cage or two Of
Chinese cormorants, and dropping down
on their yachts into the waters where
the weakGsh and the sheepshead
nbound, take their fish in this way.
Pigeon flying is nothing 10 il"