The times., 1899-11-26

had no need to go so far as the dangerous
Tia Ksu three or four cable lengths from
The beach. and right in front of the village,
we could lie in water as smooth as glass,
and seventy fathoms in depth. Our bait
was invariably flying FISH, freshly caught
or the tentaCles OF an octopus. My lines
were of white American cotton. and ] gen
orally used two hooks. one below and one
above the sinker, both baited with whole
fying FISH. while my companions generally
used wooden or iron hooks OF their own
manufacture. and lines made from blblscus
bark or COCOauut fibre.
1 shall always remember with pleasure
my first laheu. / was accompanied by the
native teacher alone and we padded OF
from the village just after evening service
and brought to about a quarter OF a mile
outside OF the reef. The rest of the island
ers had gone round in their canoes to the
weather side Of the little island TO FISH for
Jakuo. Tor we were expecting malaga or
party Of visitors from the Island of Nuku-
fetua. in a day OF two, and unusual sup
plies of fish had TO be obtained. TO sustain
not only the islands record as the fishing
centre of the universe. but the peoples
reputation for hospitality. II had been my
suggestion TO the teacher that he and ].
who were unable to accompany the others,
should try what we could do nearer home.
The night was brilliantly starlight-so
smooth that there was not even the faint
est swell upon the reef The trade wind
was at rest. and not the faintest breath OF
air moved the foliage Of the cocoa palms
lining the white strip of beach. Now and
then a splash or a sudden commoIion in
the water around us would denote that
some hapless flying FISH had taken an aerial
fiighl from pursuing pala. or that a shark
had seized a turtle in his cruel jaws.
Lighting our pipes, we lowered our lines
together according 10 island etiquette, and
touched bottom al thirty f8thoms. then
hauled in a fathom or two Of line to avoid
fouling the coral. In few minutes my
companion hooked utu a sluggish fish,
somewhat like barbel in appearance. with
shining siiveTy scales. and broad flat
head As be was hauling in and I was
looking over the side of the canoe to watch
it coming up, I felt a sharp, heavy tug at
my own line and. before 7 could check It,.
thirty or forty yards OF line whizzei
through my fingers with lightning speed.
Bite sure.
Lahe'u shouted the teacher hurried
v making his own line fast and whipping
up his paddle don't give ont any more
line. or he viii run under the reef and we
shall Jose him. ] know by the vibration
and hum of the line. as soon as ! had IT
wgll i'm hand, thaJ there was a heavy and
powerful FISH al the end. loane. disregard
ing the utu as being of no importance ia
comparison TO a laheu was pluuging his
paddle rapidly into the water and en-
deavoring TO back the canoe saaward. inJo
deeper water. but. in spite of his efforts aua
my own we were being taken quickly in
shore. For some TWO or three minutes the
canoe was dragged steadily landward and
I knew that once lahe u succeeded in get
ting underneath the overhangiug ledge OF
reef there would be little chance Of our
taking him except by diving and diving on
q mOOnless night under a reef and fTeeiuB
fish from jagged branches OF coral is not
a pleasant task, although an EIlice Islander
does ToJ much mind il. Finding that ! could
not possibly turn the FISH / asked IOane
What ! should do He told me to let go =
few fatEoms of line. brace my knee against
he thwart. and then trust TO the sudden
jerk to cant the fsh's head one way or the
other / did as Z was told Out flew the
line. and then came a shock that made
the canoe fairly jump, lifted the ourigger
clear out of the water, and all but Capsized
her. But the Tuse was successful, for, with
a furious shake lahe'u changed his course.
and started of ar a tremendous rate
parallel with the reef and then gradually
headed seaWard
Let him &c. said IOane, who was care
fully watching the tauleued-out line and
steering at The same time 'Tis q strong
fish, bu. be is mau Jouu, Uruly hockeda
and viii now tire. BUT give him nc mere
lire ard haul up 10 him..
For fully i've minutes the canoe went
flying over The water and I continued 10
haul in the line f8thom by fathom. until I
caught sight Of deep down in the water
right ahead, great phOsphoresceut boil
and bubble Then the pace began TO slack
en-, as the gallant lighter began 10 turn
from side 20 side. shaking his head and
making futile breaks from port TO star
board. Bidding me come amidships with
the line i0ane took in his paddle and pi k
ed up tne harpoOn which we always car
Tial Oh the 0Ltrig2er platform in case OF
meeting a turtle. Nearer and nearer came
the great fish, until. with a splash Of phos-
. pnorescent light and SPRAY he came TO the
surface. beating the water with MS forked
and bony tail. and srilI trying TO get a
chance sOT another downward run. Then
ioane waiting his opportunity, sent the
iron clean through him from side TO side.
and | sat down and watched. with a thrill
/ OF satisfaction and sigh of relief, his fl
( nal furry. III q few minutes we hauled
him alongside. drew the harpoon, and vi h
some difficulty managed 10 get him over
( the side and lower him into the bottom OF
/ the canoe amidahips, where be lay fore
and aft. his curved back standing mp nearly
/ a foot and half above the raised gunwale.
Although not above four feet in length, he
was nearly three in depth, and about six
teen inches thick at the shOuldeT-a truly
noble fish.
We have done well, said the teacher.
with pleased laugh, as he hauled in his
own line and dropped a 5-pound utu into
the canoe There will be much talk over
this tomorrow. for these people here are
very conceited and think that no one but
/ themselves can catch lahe'u and pala. They
viii know better now. when they see this
one" We returned to the shore within
TWO hours from the time we left, with my
4 lahe'u an utu, and five or six salmon like
/ fish called tau-tau, all nocturnal feeders,
and all highly thought OF by the natives.
/ especially the latter. The laheu we hung
MP under the missionary's veranda, and at
! daylight i had the intense satisfaction of
; seeing a crowd OF natives surrounding il,
and of hearing their fattering illusions 10
myself as a papalagi masani tonu futi ika-
white man who really could fish like a
native.
Served With Liberty Hall Volunteers
LEXINGTON. Va Nov 25.-C N. Lam.
/ sixty Two years old died Wednesday night
at his home on Kerrs Creek. He served
in the civil war as a member Of the famous
Liberty Hall Volunteers. mostly made up
Of students Of Washington and Lee Col
! lege. now Washington and Lee Uuiye sity
which was a company in the Fourth Viz
! giuia Regiment SyoneUaIl Brigade He
/ rarzfra3 q Waurd al the battle Of SEarDe