Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-11-03
C0RMORANT FISHING
As Seen by BrattleborO Boy ut Glfu,
Japan.

Flock Of Birds are Made to Catch
1000 Fish In Single Night, aud Fish
srmen Live In Comfort ON Little
Labor.
The following is from a private letter
written from Gifu, Japan, by c. Fred
Childs, who is now travelling inland in
China, having arrived at Shanghai over
two weeks ago:
To be suddenly introduced into a typical
japanese inn with its galaxy of wings and
annexes covering an area of about an acre,
and surrounding on all sides several little
japanese gardens Astounding in stone lam
terms, palms, bamboos and goldfish pools,
anc to occupy a naked room with a neat
ness and a cleanliness known only to those
acquainted with japanese inns, which are
dignitied in their utter emptiness and are
in noticeable disorder when containing even
tooth brush, to be aware of the prevail
ing silence, interrupted only by the roll of
the distant temple gongs and the click of
the night Waterman rounding the city
and its innumerable alleys, and to realize
that you are alone in a city of about 80, 600
peace-keeping Orientals, is to be in Gifu.
There, in the city which lost about 1000
people when the earth quaked, cracked
and swallowed whole streets and hundreds
of homes about 10 years ago. the cormor-
ant has gained not only fame for itself.
but reputation for the city. In fact, the
two are invariably associated together.
Although the cormorant is found else
where in Japan it is nowhere so general
in use, nor found to be so essential as on
the Niagara (gawa) river which flows through
Gifu and supplies the inhabitants of the
city with fish called trout, but wearing
spots only at certain seasons of the year.
As water fowl the cormorant sports the
cheap, black plumage, somewhat over
grown neck which ends in pointed bill, is
noiseless nature and enjoys an insa-
table appetite.
About I O'Clock in the evening, if the
water is sufficiently clear and the night is
suitably dark, the fishermen (three in each
boat, two to pole and navigate and one to
manage the birds) start on an eight-mile
run up the river. The appearance of the
fiotilla of fire boats as they advance down
the stream, which they cover from shore
to shore, coupled with the cries of the
ooatmen exciting the appetites of the
birds, is an experience hard to depict, as
one is 6afiied temporarily by the novelty
and the ephemeral excitement.
Over the bow of the boat is extended an
iron basket of blazing pine chips and float
ing and swimming within the light of the
fire are about 10 or u cormorants. each
tied under the wings to one end of a string
the other end of which the mana
! ger of the birds holds in his hand
Could you but appreciate the fact which
the cormorants thoroughly realize, namely
that they have had nothing to eat since the
previous night, but instead have suffered
an involuntary fast, you would readily un.
derstand that the limited liberty of about
II feet OF string would be quite enough to
stimulate the flow of gastric Juices and
make the unsuspecting seem and feel sud
denly out of place. In a word, these semi
starved sentient slaves are most apprecia-
tive of natures needs and accordingly a
demonstrative dive is seldom fruitless or in
vain. With the approach of the fish
| averaging about six inches lone) the do
cile duck will dart under the water. about
foot below the surface, and within five
seconds be again on exhibition dextrously
swallowing the illustrated fish. But IL is
too soon to think of self, and the faithful
fowl, with an altruistic air, starts directly
for the boat to undergo a discomforting
disagreement at the hands of the owner
who pulls the bird into the boat. skillfully
presses the stomach, which means that he
accepts the cormorant's conquest, and the
feathered fisher is again ahoat, and its ap-
petite warped into a disorganizing greed.
Should the complainant cormorant be
lucky to do little swallowing for him
self ION the side' his sensitive anatomy is
always obedient to pressure, and he but
surrenders en- masse that which he antici.
pated sharing en- parte, when he is mex
pulled aboard
With consistent development of this
falconing fever throughout the flock the
extent Of the evenings catch depends not
SO much upon the number of fish allured
within swallowing distance as upon the
apprehension and activity of the artist
who handles the handicapped harvesters,
for an overloaded bird has no idea of ex-
ercising, but rather prefers safety to sub
missive strangulation. Accordingly each
boat averages to choke its flock, for single
or double returns, about 100 times a night,
and as a reward for their interchangeable en-
deavors the birds are allowed to denomi-
nate and digest their last victim.
Thus you will see that the fishermen of
Gifu unite with our American negroes as
advocates of the modern motto "If Won
can't live by fair means live by fowl" and
with these cormorants, which are valued
at 45 to so yen each (yen is so cents) they
are able to live in much comfort on little
labor.