New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-26
MAI YIN, THE FISH-FIGHTER.

or all the fsh-fanciers in Bangkok. Mai Yin,
Is the most distinguished and successful. His
breed OF fighting fish fetchcS an enormous price
In the market whenever the stress of poverty
obliges him 10 sell; but so great is the wrench
or parting with any of his darinSs. and so vital
the Importance of selling none that will not
acQuit himself valianty. that he only resorts to
the market under the most pressing necessity.
That is, when Mrs. YIN tells him 10.
1t is nothing to Maj YIN that royalty. in an
honest determination to put down betting. pro-
nOunccd against nsh-iighting. Sport Is dearer
to his heart than Court favor, and. although
hsh-fghting has declined somewhat from It's
high estate as a fashionable amusement, and
the little club near the old tramway stables is
no longer thronged with princes and Eobles as OF
old. Mai Vim still trains his fish in the unre-
generate way. and his little home in Newest
Uhe Tanon Mad. Is still the resort of the higher
sporting circles. That house is like any other
genteman's residence in bangkok. Its sole in
habited story, the upper is foored with palm
stems matched with leaves and walled With
reed work. The space between the supporting
posts. which should have been the ground HOOr.
lies open to the world one end is piled with
garden tools. nrewood and domestic litter; the
other with neat rows of Carthen pots OF every
shape and size For in the breeding season no
mother has the maternal instinct more herccly
developed than has Maj YIN for his mother
less babes.
The Plakad has no right to exist at all. by
all the laws Of evolution n creature that eats
It's young and fight, to the death with every
thing il meets should have become extinct very
early in the world history. The plakad is born
with the lust Of battle. and II his blood De coli'
his temper is hotter tnan anything that VIII he
known this side the grave. lie VIII tackle any
creature that is not big enough to swallow him
whole-:hc only treatment that seems To putn'h
his lighting spirit-aEd he VIII nEht TN n mas
never ii fin to wag. And all this cruptlvr Jury
is Gagged in the length and girth Of schQo.po!
pockctknifc, He is found in the ircsh-Wai'I
pools OF Siam: but in wild state he has al
lowed himself so to dissipatc his energies that
he generally agrees with his adversary Whch
-iro.s, Of Ia
yantagcs Of pea %. Life is too hurried IN thc
pools the competition for mosquitoes too keen. 10
permit of concentration upon a single ld'd II j.
in solitary reflection within the narrow MINUS
Of an earthcnwarc pot that he realizes his mus
sion in life and medtates the sole ciernal
theme of piscicde. Though diminutiNe rom inc
human point of view. he has very imposing
appearance His scales are r,d or deep h'ur ac
cordng to his species His dorsal and NrhtraI
fins are enormously developed, the former beng
erect like a fOre-and-aft sal, while the iatt,r
trails like a Ccntrcboard keel. the whole length
OF his body The expression Of his countenanCe
would be mild if his lips could be got to hid'
the teeth which are at once ms CORY anu m.a
excuse: for such an array could never nave
been intended for the mere mastiCatlon Of PUPPY
mosquitoes-the Creatures daily food
In April Mai WINS cares begin. He has 70
fish out Of the pond in the garden the young
Plokad OF both sexes which promise h'st ~
rear a creditabe family. and mate them IN
separate jars. The female ilakad mas no VII WI,
tues-has not even beauty. She il Il sob"r-col"r"d
mean littl. FISH az quarrelsom" as her mat"
without the roGeeming quality OF natural a1c'
ton When she has laid her eggs she must d.
Oshed out ~ the jar IN bamboo spoon Mith"u'
an hours delay. for this young mother hiS'
act is To ill her stomach with her "HSpIl-. (
II il now that the domestic virtues ui th'
father come into exercise. lie Is thr most con
frmed in the practice Of the couVade OF All IN"
fathers in the animal kingdom. "" knows %
well the cannbal prop"1SitIeS OF MS '""9~' t.
and from the moment wh' n her eggs are Us
tooned TO the waierwced IN ms jar he mounts
guard against the greed OF their unnatu' ~
mother Nor does his vigilance relax WIN h''
removal to the pond. Night ana day he k"'pS
sleeplcss watch over them scare i'a'I ing W.,
FOR the mosquitoes which Maj Vim drops INTO h's
lar until the tiny fry break through thrlr en-
velopes and swarm about HIM. II IS uIeh Ms
turn to take passage III the bamboo spoon.
The early days Of the baby PlakAd are
severe tax upon Mai Tim. with a muslin n''
he scours the pools for the larva Of inosquIt nes
TO dole out among his swarminG jars. Tor the III
tie warriors must not be stinted If they are To 90
him credit in the jar of battle. And as th"y
grow in grth and fin from caraway TO almond
size il needs a praCtlsed eye 10 Sill '' Iu'"''
heroes from the ruck If DULLES ana d"clde Oh
which a costly education snail De id|lSh'h u
the end that he may uphold the honor OF th'
YIN breed through another season NO i'o"af
Gladiator was more carefully trained Tor th'
arena Pluck aYails nothing unless the tectf
be strong and sharp. and 1t is therefore upor
the teeth Of his young fish that Maj YlmS chle
care is spent. Every few days cIoud OF NM
sharp sand Is discharged into the water, anu Wv
Plakad which from infancy has acquired q hap
Of grinding his teeth. puts me cdGc upon n h
weapons automatically as ne swinlS ItEllS
about his lar. When he has reached his fnl
fighting weight his natural pugnacity ana hl'
seif confidence are fostcrcd by a series Of vic
tories over a succession Of immature Plakan hsi
with fight enough to goad him 10 iury' ana no
enough grisle in their fms TO SpolI ms 8ilhu''s
This part Of his training costs the lives OF tei
or twelve Youngsters. which might find some
consolation for their suncrings II they khc"
that they were sacrificed for the hohor OF .he =.