The Opelousas courier., 1897-08-07
FIGHTING FISH OF SIAM.
Queer Piscatoria1 Contests on Which tia
Natives Gamble.

Queer Piscatoria1 Contests ON Which tia
Natives Gamble.
Next to the far-famed tree-climblng
fish peculiar to portions ofSouth Amer
lea, [ have failed to discover that the
labitable waters hold anydenizen much
more remarkable than the fighting fish
of Siam. The Siamese are notorious
gamblers. |. their innocent, prattl-
ing, "fond," simple way, they will
stake their little all upon their %favorite
wrestler, their favorite juggler, their
most admired cock, and even upon
their choicest champion Of the tinny
tribe. For these "tighting fish, are
no myth, and [ am writing OF m
thing that [ have seen with my own
eyes.
Walking quietly on the streets OF
Bangkok one afternoon, when the
tropic sun was beginning to wane,
and the shorn priests were beginning
their weird invocations to Buddha III
the watts of that extraordinary and
malodorous city, I was aware Of a
great commotion in the near distance.
Natives were running about, shouting
excitedly in the Siamese lingo, and
generally conveying the impression
that something out of the ordinary
was in process of being.
"What's the matter 2" [ inquired.
"The fighting fish ! The fighting
fish - replied several excited voices.
AS incredulous as might be, ] took
the direction indicated and forced my
way through a small throng Of natives,
all talking and gesticulating their fast
est, but still r~eligiously chewing land
when are they not p the inevitable
and unpleasant betel-nut. What a
scene it was, to be sure! AS soon as
/ could get near enough to see any
thing "delinite," l perceived that the
centre of attraction was a huge bowl
three parts full of water, the surface
of which was at that moment clurned
into a veritable foam streaked with
blood. In addition to the water, the
bowl contained several fish, about the
size of ordinary English riyer-tish,
and of much the same appearance,
"a as regards the gi!ls, which looked
particularly ferocious and warlike. In
all save this the combatants might at
first sight have been mistaken for the
perch, roach, or small pike of u own
rivers, OF SO it appeared to me. They
were ''ighting' in every different way
known to the smaller tish-savasely
biting, flashing about them with their
tails, and losing no opportunity of
using their sharp, knife-like fins.
Anon a fish would turn over and over,
the curdled water would take q still
ruddier tinge, and the beaten enemy
would roll over on his back or side
dead.
The excited onlookers never paused
one moment either as regarded the
babel of their raised voices, the pam
tomime of their gesticulation, or the
quantities of ATLAS the copper coin
age of the country is called-which
they were stalking upon the fishes of
their fancy, Such asa had not the
actual coin employed fowrie shells,
which, being the original currency of
S~iars@still find favor wka1tAe masses,
md are \ecognized as legal tender.
What a raN of gamblers his people is!
believe thswould ra15 with their
soulless souls N-ss1ear of the Bud
lha) for the chance of "a quiet gam
ole' upon something or somebody. It
s a species of mania which we in the
West cannot approach.
I never waited for the final result of
he fish fight, but walked away, though
he hoarse shouts and cries Of the
gamblers fingered in my ears for many
hundred yards. 1t would be interest
ng to know whether the explanation
s a trace enmity"" between the fish
themselves ; but if it is not, what can
'e the explanation In any case, it
s a curious spectacle to European
yes, and II not without a semi
avage interest Of its own. Look for
t beyond the borders of the Land of
he White Elephant and you will find
t not. These fighting fish make ex-
client eating.-St. Paul's Magazine.