The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-07-19

~ a very remote antiquity. At
Il X least q thousand years ago
|sKo.~ it is known TO have -four
\ ished. and there is a tradl-
of it's existence upward of two
usand years ago. Much romance
history are connected with the fish
in the early days, and the names
gsome Of Japan'S greatest warriors
statesmen are associated with 1t.
lille a commercial enterprise, it does
Il, however, give employment to
Any people and is not conducted III
Rny places. It is confined to rivers.
Ia the most extensive, interesting II
5mous fishery is that in the Niagara
8yer and most noted of the cormor-
Et fishing Villages is in the outskirts
the large city of Gifu.
Ii the time of my visit, the chief cor
rant fisherman, whose ancestors for
Inv generations had engaged in tins
kery in the same locality. attired
Self in the peculiar dress of the
kession for the purpose of exhibit
his birds and the methods OF
hiding them. Later he and all the
er fishermen on the river went to
~gendezvous and gave a practical de-
nstration Of cormorant fishing.
De cormorants are controlled by
Ans of a slender cord, which passes
bund the birds breast and is tied in
middle. of the back. The cord is
Die Of woody fbers of the cryptic
Tia tree, with the exception OF a
BIT section next to the bird, which
Ssists of whalebone. There is a sup
Mental cord tied around the neck
he lower end of the gullet for the
bose of preventing the fish from
sing so far that they cannot be
bvered. The tying Of this cord is
lelicate operation, for if too tight
nay injure the bird and if too loose
will allow the fish to be swallowed.
The fishery is conducted from boats,
fich are Of q special type, being long,
Rrow dugouts. propelled primarily by
bdles, but when en- route to the hsh-
1 grounds often provided with a sail.
lei boat has a crew CT four men and
5complement Of sixteen cormorants.
lite in the afternoon the boats start
q place in the river where hshlnG
M begin, the cormorants being
bwed away in pairs in bamboo bas-
lis. The fishing grounds cover
hny miles, and operations are con-
led to successive sections of the river
NIFTY, in accordance with law.
$etches several thousands yards in
18th are set aside as imperial re-
ives, on which no fishing is permit
lis soon as darkness prevails a blaz-
& fire Of pine wood is kindled In
: iron basket overnanging the bow
the boat, and the boats drift down
cam together, sometimes in a mixed
Bup. sometimes in a line extending
bss the river, each guided and pro-
led by two men. The captain. stand
y near the bow. manages twelve cor
kfants and his assistant four, the
dis being held between the fingers
IA frequently shifted as the birds
I've about. With the cormorants
ling and darling in all directions,
Ese of different boats often mingling,
8{s a wonder that they do not soon
Icome ineXtricahly tangled, but so
1ilfully are they managed that the
Bes rarely become fouled. In a short
He the cormorants' outlets begin to
Eige with ayu; when they are we'll
Lea the birds are pulled up to the gun
4les one by 4 and their catch IS
htly squeezed into baskets. This
1Etinues for several hours, and each
kmorant may fill its outlet fifteen
twenty times.
usually go to the fishing
kunds in a kind Of barge, illumi-
He'd by lanterns, and eat their din
= on board while waiting at a con-
hient point for the fishing boats to
live. During the evening when L
messed the fishery the seven boats
1 whose operations 1 was particularly
7terested averaged 700 or 800 fish
Biece, and the aggregate catch was
birth S150-a very respectable sum to
&panese fishermen.
Ehe fishery is prosecuted with en-
zIsiasm by both men and cormorants,
Ia the shouts Of the fishermen, the
aarse croaking Of the birds, the rush
Ythe mountain stream, the spiashing
Id creaking Of the paddles, the hiss
r of the embers is they fall into the
hter. the weird lights and shadows
zmbine to make a performance which
fWesterner is not likely soon to for
TERRAPIN FARMS.
The cultivation of water products has
Rne hand in hand with the fisheries,
Id in certain lines has attained
jeater perfection and extent than IN
3y other country. The raising OF Ter
hin, which with US is IN unsolved
4 oblem and has only recently been
&iously considered. has FOR years been
Try successfully carried on by the
4panese. l visited q terrapin farm
lar Toxic, where 10000 to 10000
officially grown terrapin are placed
! the market annually. Without any
ktside aid or suggestions, the Japan