m beneath with as much rapidity
as upon the surface. Its keel-like breastbone cuts the liquid element
like an arrow, and with its strong wings for paddles, and its broad tail
acting as a rudder, the bird is able to turn sharply round, or shoot
forward with incredible rapidity.

A singular circumstance came under the observation of our travellers.
When one of the birds had succeeded in bringing up a fish, which was
larger than common, and too large for its captor to convey to the boat,
several others might be seen rushing forward, to render assistance in
carrying the fish aboard!

You will wonder that these creatures--whose food is the very prey they
were capturing for their master--did not swallow some of the fish they
were taking. In the case of the younger birds, and those not fully
trained, such little thefts do occasionally occur. But in such cases
the fisherman adopts a preventive precaution, by fastening a collar
round the necks of the birds--taking care that it shall not descend to
the thick part of the throat, where it might choke them. With
well-trained old birds this precaution is unnecessary. No matter how
hungry the latter may be, they bring all they "take" to their master,
and are rewarded for their honesty by the smaller and more worthless
fish that may have been caught.

Sometimes a bird becomes lazy, and sits upon the water without
attempting to do his duty. In such cases, the fisherman approaches with
his boat, stretches forward his bamboo, strikes with violence close to
where the indolent individual is seated, and scolds him for his
laziness. This treatment seldom fails in its effect; and the winged
fisher, once more roused by the well-known voice of its master, goes to
work with renewed energy.

For several hours this fishing scene is kept up, until the birds,
becoming tired, are allowed to return and perch themselves on the boat;
where their throat-straps are removed, and they are fed and caressed by
their master.

Our travellers did not wait for this finale, but kept on their route;
while Karl related to Caspar how that, not a great while ago, so late as
the time of King Charles the First, the common cormorant of Europe was
trained to fish in the same way in several European countries, and
especially in Holland; and that, at the present day, in some parts of
China, this mode of fishing is followed to so great an extent, that the
markets of some of the largest cities are supplied with fi