island, short pieces of fine steel wire rigging were
eagerly bought (or begged for).

However, no leather-jackets, wrasse, greedy rock-cod, or keen-eyed
trevally being about, the bait touches the sandy bottom, and then you
will see one--perhaps half a dozen--_afulu_ cease poking their noses in
the sand, and make for it steadily but cautiously. When within a foot
or so, they invariably stop dead, and eye the bait to see if it is worth
eating. But they are soon satisfied--that round, pale green thing with
delicious juices exuding from it is an _uga_ (hermit crab) and must not
be left to be devoured by rude, big-mouthed rock-cod or the like, and
in another moment or two your line is tautened out, and a purple-scaled
beauty is fighting gamely for his life in the translucent waters of the
lagoon, followed half-way to the surface by his companions, whom, later
on, you place beside him in the bottom of the canoe. And even to look
at them is a joy, for they are graceful in shape, lovely in colour, and
each scale is a jewel.

You take up the paddle and send the canoe along for half-a-cable's
length towards a place where, under the ledge of the inner reef, both
_afulu sama sama_ and _afulu lanu uli_ (yellow and purple mullet) are
certain to be found; and, as the little craft slips along, a large
gar--green-backed, silvery-sided, and more than a yard long--may dart
after you like a gleaming, hiltless rapier skimming the surface of the
water. If you put out a line with a hook--baited with almost anything--a
bit of fish a strip of white or red rag--you will have some sport,
for these great gars are a hard-fighting fish, and do the tarpon
jumping-trick to perfection. But if you have not a line in readiness you
can wait your chance, and as he comes close alongside, break his back
with a blow from the sharp blade of your paddle, and jump overboard and
secure him ere he sinks.

"Not very sportsmanlike," some people will say; but the South Sea native
is very utilitarian, and it takes a keen eye and hand to do the
thing neatly. And not only are these gars excellent eating--like all
surface-feeding, or other fish which show a "green" backbone when
cooked; but fore and aft strips out from their sheeny sides make
splendid bait for deep-sea habitants, such as the giant sea bass and the
200-pounder "coral" cod.

Under the ledge of the inner reef, if you get there before the sun
is too far to the westward, so that your eyes are not blinded