The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-15

shrubery; it's all one to the Islander, who
is as much at home in the water as on the
ground. Children on their crazy RATS of
bamboo push out recklessly to the very
edge of the reefe, where the ocean waves
are breaking, and some unexpected larger
wave lifts the raft and carries them out
to sea in an uncomfortable phght, from
which they must be rescued, or eiseS their
frail craft fails to pieces under them and
they must swim and wade ashore. All is
loud noise and good temper. Canoes may
get i'm the way of other canoes, the RATS
of the youngsters may be a nuisance. but
there is no note of quarrelling. All are
out for pleasure as wen as fishing, and
they are bound to take it as it comes.
With all this shouting and scrambling
and ducking the fleets of canoes manage
to get into chosen places and to keep in
the places already won by much manoeuv-
ring. There is a voliey of shouts to ind
where this one is and where that. Late
Corners are hailed with derislre calls and
jeering shouts, as they try 10 wedge them
selves in among the earlier corners. Some
one too eagerly scanning the surface Of
the water for signs of the palolo capsizes
a canoe--they do go over with wonderful
ease, despite the outrigger-and then the
whole reef resounols with questions as to
whether he expects TO dive for the worms
or not. AS the time goes on in the dark
ness the tide goes out and out until 1t
seems as If it could get no lower. The sea
grows more and more lumpy as sin more
sprays of coral are laid bare and the pools
become more and more confined. These
signs cause a hush to fan over the reef,
the hush of expectation with which ii is
natural and human to await the coming
of something that takes place only at long
intervals The Old men who are the lead
ers in the fishery pass orders, which are
repeated from canoe TO canoe in whispers,
hot all -f, 1aaf k1x fge~f,
be frightened out Of their annual appear
ance-a profound belief Of this fishery not
supported by any evidence. There is now
no sound now bur booming conclusion of
the waves on the seward side of the reef
and the soft swish of some net lightly
swept over the surface Of the water by
some one eager to be the first to find the
favorite worm.
One moment it is certain that the sur
face of the lagoon is empty, the sweeping
nets bring nothing, the sharpest eyes can
see nothing but the black water. Then
some one starts a shout that the palo1o
has come TO the surface. Before he can
finish his cali 1t is swallowed up in the
shouts from every canoe along the reef.
In the same instant the worms have APP
peared, the lagoon Is blotched with great
masses of them where a moment before
there was nothing, and the fishermen use
the shallow nets like shoveis and scoop
them into the canoes as fast as the arms
can move. 1t is not necessary to go IN
search Of the worms IL one is on a spot
where they rise at all. As fast as they
are scooped from the surface others rise
and may lie scooped up in turn. They
seem to rise entirely within the space OF
a quarter of an hour, for after that time
has elapsed q pool scooped clean remains
empty Of the worms. There is some hing
uncanny in H. The moonlight is dim and
faint; the surface Of the lagoon looks dim