The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-07-07
DIdek T.
SHf AdNent0re.
HUNTING WITH KITES.

.SeotG> LMOST due east from Ma
\ 4 Mia is the large sweet
o. u o water lake called the La
Hs guna de Bay; round the
~oN southern half Of this lake
lies Laguna Province. A chain OF
mountains lies In a large half circle
round this lake. thus shutting in this
sheet OF water almost completely.
Books Of natural history describe n
species Of large bat. called fruit bats,
great big fellows. with body the size
of full grown cat, and wing mem
branes that measure from two 10 four
feet across. i have seen some that
were more than five feet from tip 10
tip. Like all bats, they sleep during
the day In the dense forests in the
mountains. hundreds OF them hung up
IN the treetops, where they are safe
from their enemies. Head down, with
wings closely folded 10 the body and
swayinG with the wind, they look
something like the bobbins OF wool that
feed the spinning machines in the fac
tories.
About half an hour or more before
the sun touches the western horizon
right side up with care, give a few
flaps with their wings. and then
whir!-away they 20, hundreds in a
flock. They sail across forest and vale
straight as q shot 10 the fine groves
along the lake, where they feed all
night.
A curious thing about the bats is that
they prefer a straight line, and II they
meet an obstacle will swerve only just
enough to clear IL. The Filipinos have
found this out, and also that the bats
are good 10 eat. From this discovery
dates a most curious sport.
Long before sunset in the village af-
ter which the lake is named, the
town of Bay, q hundred or more men
and boys are out. both in the town it
self and on the open Ilain all round IT,
Each group of two or three has q kite,
a tailless, Chinese pattern kite.
Everybody is full of expectation,
looking southwark for the bats to ar
rive. Suddenly some sharp-eyed young
southwest. and sets up yell. Ere the
yell has died away tie advance of the
flock has come within range of the
floating kites.
The bats see in them nothing more
than strange kind Of bird. Indeed, it
may be doubted If the bats in this
bright light see at all. If they do not
fly by smell and touch rather than by
sight, az any rate, once among the
kites, which have begun to sail in very
erratic curves, they just swerve little
when too close 10 one to its cord, and
go on.
BY skillful jerking and twirllng OF
the cord the men are able to give the
kite a swOoping motion, similar TO that
Of hawks flight, and in addition guide
II so as TO swoop down upon one Of the
bats.
But always the bats sweep Just be-
yond the reach Of the kites, until sud-
denly one seems to be entangled with
something near the cord. A fiutter or
two, a violent downward movement Of
the kite, torn along by the bat, final
shake of the line, and like a shot down
drops the bat, to be pounced upon by
some member of the crew of that par
ticular kite. a blow with the club IN
his hand, and the bat ceases to snap
and snarl Surprised we examine the
fellow, and find that the delicate mem
hrane of its wings has been torn as ii
with claws. making flight impossible.
Soon another bat is entanglcd with
kite, but instead of dropping, it is ap-
parently caught by the cord, for when
the man handling this one pulls in eX-
citedly and brings the kite to earth, tho
bat. despite some wild flutters, comes
with it, We then see that hundreds OF
small fish-hookS are attached to the
cord by means Of fine strings of abaca
or Manila hemp. The bat was caught
on several of these hooks. In swery-
Ing q little to escape the kite or its
cord. it was swept right among the
hooks. Their fine thread was too small
10 be noticed ere IL was too late.
The bats are not beautiful, and the
strong, musky odor they exhale does
not add to their attractiveness; but
once prepared for the oven. they look
much like rabbits. and l am assured
by those who have eaten them that
they taste exactly like that.-Paul l..
Strange, In Youths Companion.