to have recourse to
a floating fish carrier, and this I contrived out of an old dry goods
box, which I bored full of holes, so as to allow a current of water to
flow through and keep my fish alive. To give floating power to this
_fish-pound_, I fastened large bungs all round the outside, and to each
of the four corners I attached an inflated bladder, so that I could
easily store in it from thirty to forty pounds of fish, as it must be
observed, that whilst _in_ the water the fish will swim, and thus add
but little weight to their floating prison. This box I attached to the
outrigger by a stout lanyard, and fended it off with the paddle, if the
eddy brought it in too close proximity to my craft.

Well, to my fish story. I had been anchored for about two hours near
Rocher Rouge fishing for conger, of which I had caught three small ones,
beside several rock fish and whiting, when I thought I would try another
kind of bait, so I armed my hook with a small ormer, which being of a
gristly texture, held on the barb well. Over the side went the gear,
attached to a strong line of thick water-cord, and although it was down
a considerable time no warning tug gave hope of sport to follow, so I
busied myself with the other two lines I had down, with a fair amount of
success. At length getting tired of taking nothing on my big line, I
thought I would coil it up and examine the bait, but when I had got the
line straight up and down it refused to leave the bottom, tug as I
would. I pulled till my canoe danced and bobbed about in an alarming
manner, in fact, till the coaming was in danger of going under the
gently heaving sea, but to no purpose; it would not budge, so tripping
anchor I paid out line and paddled fifty yards, thinking that if my hook
had fouled a rock I might by a side pull clear it. I hauled in gently,
and to my surprise found the line come in with a curious vibrating
motion, in little jerks, till it got straight up and down again, and
then I had a hard pull to get it from the bottom; but still I did get it
up little by little, and was now positive that it was a fish of some
kind, and of great weight. Foot after foot of line came in very
spasmodically, and with great reluctance, till at last a great, ugly,
slimy head, with yellow-green eyes, came above the surface, and so large
did it appear, that it quite took me aback. In my surprise I let go
several coils of the line before I knew what I was about. The head was
enorm