Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-04-21
FISHING IN THE WATERS OF ASIA.
Curious Oriental Ways of Catching Fish
fortunes Ahead for Fishermen.

| Tortures Ahead for Fishermen.
THE Chinese have many curious
ways of catching fish" said piscato-
rial sharp to a writer for the Washing
ton Star. In winter they dive for
| them. A certain species demanded in
| the market seeks shelter during the
| cold season under the rocks at a con-
siderable depth. They cannot be got
with hook and line, and So the fisher
men 90 down into the water after
them. plunging from a boat. Three
| dives are made each hour. and fire is
| kept on board the boat for the purpose
| Of warming those at work between
| whites. Not infrequently they come
up bleeding from the lungs. and rheu-
matism and skin diseases render them
disabled by the time they are 10 years
old.
ut was the Chinese who invented
the well-known plan of capturing
| ducks and other water fowl by wading
toward them with a basket over the
head and dragging them under water
before they knew what had caught
them by the legs. Theirs is the idea
OF employing cormorants to aid them
in fishing. You have heard, doubtless.
how the birds used for this purpose
have collars around their necks to pre-
vent them from swallowing the game
| they capture. AT signal given by
their owner they plunge into the water
| after the prey. Whatever they get is
taken from them, and they are re-
warded for every success with bit of
fish small enough for them to eat.
They are forced to work very hard all
day long, but great care is taken of
them and they are nurSed most atten-
lively when sick. A bird is usually
good for service until it is ten years
old. The cormorant fishermen are or
gained into societies, the birds be,
longing to each association having a
peculiar mark.
an India also the natives employ
many methods of fishing which seem
odd to us. There is in the district of
Dude a species of so-called walking
fish with snake-like heads, which are
often seen floating on the water as if
asleep. The people shoot them with
cross bows. Usually they sink when
they are killed, SO that they have to be
dived for afterward. In the Indus, the
Ganges and other streams are numcr-
Gus fish-eating crocodiles which attain
a length of more than twenty feet.
Except when near their nests and anx-
ious to defend their eggs they run
away from human beings. Of fish
they catch an enormous number, and
it has been thought very strange that
the fishermen should not destroy such
rivals in their own business. But they
regard the mere suggestion Of such an
idea with horror, saying that the croc-
odilrs are brothers in trade.
"Ihe man-eating crocodiles of those
rivers are regarded as sacred aud are
never harmed. OF late years they
hay destroyed more lives than form
erly. owing to the prohibition by Law
of the ancient practice of consigning
corpses to the streams. 1t VS. ne
good old way to fill the mouth OF tbs
defunct respectfully with mud and
leave the cadavar to be swept away by
the current Upon such supplies of
food the great saurians depended
largely, and, being deprived of them,
they lie in wait to snap up living peo-
pie and cattle. Five persons have
been known to be carried off in one
year at single pool. However, the
country is overpopulated, but one
would not think it an agreeable death
to die.
THE Buddhists in India have a hor-
ror of eating the flesh of animals, be-
lieving them to be incarnations of hui
man beings souls; but they permit
themselves the luxury of fish, usually
getting around the difficulty by saying
that the fishermen take away the
fishes lives and are responsible. On
the walls of their temples are numer-
Gus frescoes wildly depicting the ter
rible fortunes which fishermen will
have to endure in future state. In
these paintings fires are represented
stirred by devils, who are dragging the
fishermen into the flames in nets, haul
ing them by hooks and lines, and prod
ding them from behind with fish
spears.
There is Il story of Buddhist
priest who lodged for some time at the
house of a fisherman. Tie latter had
recently reformed and was pursuing
another occupation. After two days
the guest asked why no fish were
served upon the table and being in
formed that his host was withheld by
conscientious scruples from catching
5hem he expressed his approval in high
terms. At the end of a week, how
ever, he felt craving for fish strong
| upon him and inquired how far the
tisherman's net stretched across the
neighbOrinG stream. He was told that
it extended one-third of the way
across.
elf that is the case said the priest,
the fish have their choice as to whether
they will be caught or not. Soft they
choose to be taken nobody else is re-
sponsible. Therefore, you will do
right to try and catch some
Accordingly the priest was served
thereafter with fish, of which delicacy
he would have been deprived had it
not been for the wisdom which sacred
books had taught him."