calculated to inspire melancholy in any one but an ardent fisherman.
Scarcely have we hauled our boat up on the sand, and deposited our
provisions and water in the roofless house, when we hear a commotion in
the river--a swarm of fish called "tailer" are making havoc among a
"school" of small mullet, many of which fling themselves out upon the
sand. Presently all is quiet again, and we get our lines ready.

For whiting and silvery bream rather fine lines are used, but we each
have a heavy line for flathead, for these fish are caught in the tidal
rivers on a sandy bottom up to three feet and four feet in length. They
are in colour, both on back and belly, much like a sole, of great width
across the shoulders, and then taper away to a very fine tail. The head
is perfectly flat, very thin, and armed on each side with very sharp
bones pointing tailward; a wound from one of these causes intense
inflammation. The fins are small--so small as to appear almost
rudimentary--yet the fish swims, or rather darts, along the bottom with
amazing rapidity. They love to lie along the banks a few feet from the
shore, where, concealed in the sand, they can dart out upon and seize
their prey in their enormous "gripsack" mouths. The approach of a boat
or a person walking along the sand will cause them to at once speed like
lightning into deep water, leaving behind them a wake of sand and mud
which is washed off their backs in their flight. Still, although not a
pleasing fish to look at, the flathead is of a delicious and delicate
flavour. There are some variations in their shades of colour, from a
pale, delicate grey to a very dark brown, according to their habitat,
and, although most frequent in very shallow water, they are often caught
in great quantities off the coast in from ten to fifteen fathoms of
water. Gut or wire snoodings are indispensable when fishing for
flathead, else the fish invariably severs the line with his fine
needle-pointed teeth, which are set very closely together. Nothing comes
amiss to them as food, but they have a great love for small mullet or
whiting, or a piece of octopus tentacle.

Baiting our heavy lines with mullet--two hooks with brass-wire snoods to
each line--we throw out about thirty yards, then, leaving two or three
fathoms loose upon the shore, we each thrust a stick firmly into the
sand, and take a turn of the line round it. As the largest flathead
invariably dart upon the bait, and then make a bolt w