Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-01
officers Of the Home.
CATCHING FISH BY POISON.
One of the Primitive Methods Used IN
the Sea of Galilee.
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
In party which left Canada some
months ago for a visit to the Holy Lana
was an enthusiastic fisherman, who has
sent back an account of 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 practiced for centuries. The first
was seen near Mejedel. the ancient Mag
daIia. An old Bedouin and a young lad
were sitting on little rocky point. lels-
urely casting out crumbs OF bread. Tar 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. Its exact composition is held
as a secret among the Arabs. Although
so quickly fatal to fish, it is quite harm
less to human life.
Very early next morning those of the
westerners who were about their tent
cular native stalking along the shore in
a state of perfect nudity. He had some
light netting and rope thrown over his
left shoulder, and passed on unconcern-
eddy to a little bar, or reef, along which
he waded out into the lake as far as he
could and then swan out fifty feet fur
Their.
Throwing himself upon his back in the
water he unfoulded his net, and dexter
.ously flung it out some yards before him.
By a clever manipulation of the cords at
either end the net stretched itself to it's
full length, and formed curtain some
cid hnin
foated 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 dra wn his
net to land it contained twenty or thirty
fish.
On another occasion two men were dis
covered 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 an
preached close to each other and made
for the shore with some difficulty, owing
to the weight of fish in the net behind
them. They were all of one edible vari-
ETY. and must have numbered 200, of an
average weight of two pounds.
ANOTHER the third method used, was the
forclble hooking of fish by small barbed
gan at the end of long pole. This was
generally practiced by men standing ont
In the water waist deep. and was appar-
entry as eHectfve as the other two meth
oos. VI batting hooks the men seem not
to have heard, nor is there need for pro-
fess1onal fishermen to bother with bait
In water so bountifully stocked
mere was no angling for sport and in
particular no fly fishing. In fact excent-
ing for Dream and ruffs, which were not
large, the fish were all gross bottom feed
ers. The black fish. which appeared to be
most plentiful and most valuable were
dark. scaleless things something like the
salt water hake in general appearance.
though not in color. Great catfish a ward
long lay In the mud or sand everywhere.
hook ~