Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-26
HARPOONING GATORS
WILD SPORT ON WESTERN COAST
OF MEXICO.
Hunt by Torchlight for Black Robalo
Of Mexican Waters-Fight In Canoe
With Wounded Alligator.
From the Mexican Herald.

From the Mexican Herald
/ We lay in camp at the mouth of the
Lerna I'VE" was made up OF Chihuile
(salt water catfish) the harpooner glance
at whose mouth explained his nickname
he was called Weely for short; Ell Negro,
the paddler, and the writer. The sun was
just sinking into the sea as we lit our
cigarros and commenced making ready for
our nightly hunt. The torch and bullseye
lantern were filled with oil, an extra har-
poon and line were slowed in the eighteen
foot canoe, as well as a rifle and heavy
six-shooter. A chunk Of drftwood with
doubled up overcoat on top made very
comfortable seat amidships for the boss of
the outfit.
The nor'wester had died down and the
flood tide was coming in as Weely took his
station in the bow, standing erect, harpoon
in hand. ! seated myself on my improvfsed
stool, with the pistol in my belt and the
rife close to my hand. Impelled by a Wig
orous push from Ell Negro, we shot out into
the stream.
AS we got into the shadows of the tall
mangroye trees on the further side of the
river Weely lit the torch that hung over the
bow, and with strong but noiseless strokes
of the paddle We sped along close under the
bank. with the tide in our favor and watch
ing ntently for sight of the fiery red eyes
of an alligator cleaning in the torchlight,
or possibly the green eyes of a Mexican
tiger or deer gazing at us from among
the tree trunks on the bank.
Head of Bone.
A tree on the bank ahead showed up
white and ghostly in the starlight as If
entirely covered by white sheet. AS we
swept under It's branches there was a sud
den rustic and swish Of wings and flock
of several hundred white ibises launched
themselves into the air, and. wheeling heav-
lily around and over us in the darkness,
with hoarse cries and croaks protested
against our intrusion Of their roosting
place.
On the starboard side. out In the swift
current, two red lights showed, looking
like couple of well-lit cigar stubs. ABOUT
thirty feet from the bow Weely made a
vigorous throw. There was rattle and
Jingle of steel on bone and he recolled his
line and made ready for another throw
with an exclamation of disgust. what
was the matter, Weely? Why didn't you
get your string tied to that fellow? The
that is almost solid bone, and a harpoon
| won't stick in IT. was the reply You
wait little and I'll tie on to one good and
fast, listed vera"
sand bar of the wise alligator when sud
denly Weely's arm shot out and the llght
| harpoon whistled through the ar ana
| found its mark. There was swirl ana
up like a bow string and the canoe lie apeo
forward at double speed through the dark
| ness. What is it, Weely?, I don
| know, senior; it was down deep IN the
| water; it is a caiman, or black ropaio'
| and a big one.'
Black Robalo.
The line cut the water like a knife as our
| game lowed US up little tide creek that
| branches off from the main channel until a
| turned and pulled us out again to mdriver,
! and then stopped exhausted and came to
| the surface.
| 1t was a superb black robalo, nearly four
| feet in length and weighing from forty to
| fifty pounds.
| His exact length was forty-fve inches
and his tail was ten inches ip width; had
| no means of getting his weight
.,Pull him in to the canoe, Weeiy ana
! we will knock him on the head Weely
| nulIed him up alongside and put one hand
! in his gills but the fish was too strong for
| him and nearly pulled him overheard. Il
| can't handle him, senior, you had better
| shoot him. A bullet in the brains Quoted
| his struggles and we pulled him aboard
| After we had admired him and agreed
! that it was the finest fish we could hope to
catch that night we went on with the Hood
tide up the river.
is simply a salt water variety of the large
mouth black bass of the southern United
States and northeastern Mexico. 1t closely
| resembles it's fresh water relative in every
| thing except size, 1t averages much
/ heavier, going from two or three POUNDS
up to forty or fifty and even over.
| 1t is an anodromous fish, like the sal
mon living In both fresh and salt water,
and ascending the rivers yearly in spawning
| season. In fresh water or salt 1t takes live
bait freely and I believe would take the
| fly also If offered.
I am in absolute ignorance of Its proper
in Entpltc a
| fighter, and it is common on both coasts
| of the republic and is frequently on sale
in the Mexico city markets. but I have
never seen a specimen In either Texas or
| California on sale in the markets.
| Just below Cane Brake Bend we shined
! the eyes of an alligator dead ahead Weely
| made an artistic throw and harpooned him
| in the neck. How he ran with us up the
| river and down, across and back, the
| canoe carrying a bone in her teeth as
! we sped along. Then he came to bay and
| turned on US, biting chunk out of the
| harpoon shaft in his rage. He was an old
| bull about nine feet long and full of fight
| but rife ball in the head knocked all the
| fight out of him and he lay the sur
| face of the water apparently dead.