The leader., 1904-08-27
CATCHING FISH BY POISON
One of the Primitive Methods That
Is Still Used by the Fisher
men of Galilee.

In party which left Canada some
months ago for a visit to the Holy Land
was an enthusiastic fisherman, who has
sent back an account of a trip to the
lake of Gennesaret, or Sea Of Galilee,
and of the ways of the fishermen there.
The waters of the lake fairly TEEN
with fish, though very little fishing has
been done there of late years They
are caught in three ways, each Of which
has been praetieed for centuries. The
first was seen near Mejdel. the ancient
Magdalia An old Bedouin and a
young lad were sitting on a little rocky
point, leisurely casting out crumbs of
bread. far as they could throw them,
into the lake.
Great shoals of fish fought for the food,
which was charged heavily with poison.
Almost Immediately after selling the
bread. the FISH turned belly upward, quite
dead. and drifted to shore.
The poison is said to be obtained from
the juices of some of the shrubs which
line the shore, or from the ashes of their
burnt roots. It's exact composition is
held as a secret among the Arabs. Al
though so quickly fatal to fish, it is
quite harmless to human life.
Very early next morning those of the
westerners who were about their tent
doors were surprised to see lank. mus
cular native stalking along the shore
in state of perfect nudity. He had
some light netting and rope thrown over
his left shoulder and passed on uncon-
cernedly to little bar or reef, along
which he waded out into the lake as
far as he could, and then swan out so
feet further.
Throwing himself upon his back in
the water he unfolded his net, and dex-
terously flung it out some yards be-
fore him. BY clever manipulation Of
the cords at either end the net stretched
itself at full length, and formed cur
tain some eight feet long, the upper side
being 1oated by bits of wood
Fastening the cords around his chest,
the man swan ashore, his movements IN
the water being as quiet and easy as those
of an eel. When he had drawn his
net to land it contained 20 or 80 fish.
On another occasion two men were
discovered swimming near a great school
of fish. Each of the men had the end of
a net fastened to him, and they swan
right through the shoal. Then they APP
preached close to each other and made
for the shore with some dificulty owing
to the weight of the fish in the net be-
hind them They we're all of one edible
variety aAa must have numbered 200,
Of an average weight Of two pounds.
Another, the third method Nsed, was
the forcible hooking Of fish BY q small
barbed gaff at the end Of a long pole.
This was generally practiced by men
standing out in the water waist deep,
and was apparently as effective as the
other two methods OF batting hooks
the men seem not to have heard, nor is
there need for professional fishermen
to bother with bait in water so bounti-
fully stocked.
There was no angling for sport and
In particular no fly fishing. In fact, ex
cepting for Dream and rufus. which we're
not large, the fish were all gross bot
tom feeders. The black fish which APP
peared to be the most plentiful and
most valuable, were dark, scaleless
things something like the saltwater
hake IN general appearance though not
IN color Great catfish yard long lay
in the mud or sand rywhere: and
these were taken with pole and hook