St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-09-28

A BANCA. OR NATIVE BOAT
man to swing the sail completely around
and SO sail backward and forward alike.
This ingenious trick belongs apparently
to the Polynesian Malays alone, no 9TH
er race seeming to have discovered it.
In going into rough water an outrigger
is employed consisting Of long, thick
bamboo or stout pole parallel with the
length Of the banca and held in place
two to four feet from the side by cross
pieces of ironwood or Manila hickory.
Thus equipped the brown man will sail
into the stormiest sea and will carry
enough sail to make his light craft fair
ly spin along the waves. This catamaran
arrangement enabled the Malay pirates
in the old years to overhaul the swiftest
sailing ship or escape the dreaded fri
gates and sloops- ofwar sent out against
them.
The boatmen form a class all to
themselves. They are descendants of the
pirates of the olden time, and it is easy
to see what formidable foes they might
make under favorable conditions. 1.-the,
muscular, lean, tireless, patient, intelli-
gent and fearless. they are the stuff of
which good seamen and warriors are
made. They supply the Manila quarter
masters employed on the China coasters
and the crews and subordinate officers
of scores of British steamers in Asiatic
waters. They are wonderful swimmers
and divers and personally very clean.
They find rare sport in attacking sharks,
diving, creese in hand, from their YES
sci and coming up under the fish s belly.
Their bravest swimmers attack the cay
man, or crocodile, in the same way and
cut its throat or stomach with their
keen edged and pointed knives. The
danger is great, for blow from the
reptiles tail or single snap Of its
massive jaws means the loss of limb or
life.
An interesting and ingenious contriv-
anoe is the fishing prahu, or fishing
DERRICK" as it is called by our sailors.
The little vessel is flatboat or substan-
tial raft. AT the bow two poles or
masts are fastened one on each side and
meeting at the top, so as to form an in
verified V. The fastening at the sides is
accomplished by trenail, or stout
wooden axle, through an auger hole in
the bottom of the mast. This allows
the V to be raised or lowered at pleas.
ure. Suspended from the top by four
ropes is square frame from 10 to %
feet square, to which is attached huge
fishing net in the shape of bag or
pocket. When not in use, the V is up
right and frame and bag are high in
air, where they can he kept dry.
When the owner uses them, he slowly
lowers the frame and bag into the wa
ter by letting the V incline forward.
When the bag and frame are resting on
the bottom, bait is thrown in. After
brief wait the V is raised rapidly,
bringing with it the net, usually we'll
lined with leaping and wriggling cap
tives. With ordinary luck there will be
from 90 to 100 fishes at each cast.
When among these there are devil
fishes or young sharks, the fisherman's
joy is complete. Ordinary fishes bring
l or 2 cents pound wholesale in the
market, while the octopus and the
sharks tail and fins bring from to 20
cents pound.
To keep the fish alive nearly all the
prahus carry fish tanks, and in the fish
market these are also employed.
In watching the patient fishermen at
work in the strong tropical sun the
traveller is often startled to see them
reize poles, boathooks and soap nets,
beat the water furiously, scream to
their neighbors and behave generally as
If demented. This excitement is caused
by the discovery of the Manila water
cobra, venomous serpent found only