FISHING AS PRACTISED IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD. Lobster Fishing in North America.-The harbour of Halifax is one of the finest in the world; its deep waters abound with fish of every description (except soles). Fish is daily to be purchased at the market at a most astonishing low rate, generally from a halfpenny per lb., and the finest lobsters may be had for a halfpenny each; but our object in these fishing parties, consisting of gentlemen and ladies, was not only to fill our baskets; they were a kind of pic-nic. The period selected was generally at the full of the moon; but when her light was clouded on one of these cool calm evenings which succeed the hot days of an Indian summer, we chose our ground, and lowered sail, and pulled up under the shade of a lofty uninhabited building, situated on Melville Island, which lies in the Sound. Under these rocky shores we commenced our operations, with about four or five feet water. The implements were not very complicated; in the bow of the boat was placed a large grating, with a long handle, like a gigantic frying-pan; this is supplied with large thick pieces of a kind of millboard, which, when lit, burns fiercely, and casts a very powerful light. The weapons for capturing lobsters, termed spears, resemble the props of a clothes line, only somewhat more artistically shaped; they are from six to seven feet in length, and nearly an inch in diameter; at one extremity they are split down nearly six inches, the prongs thus formed are kept asunder by a small wedge. The boat is tilted on one side, so as to bring the gun-whale quite close to the water's edge, and a blazing fire lighted on the grating, makes the smallest objects visible beneath the wave; myriads of lobsters are thus discovered crawling in every direction. Their being disturbed by the sudden glare, causes a great deal of confusion amongst them. The prongs of the weapon are quietly inserted in the water, and gradually lowered until within a few inches of the lobster; the fisherman darts his spear on the shoulders, wedging him between the prongs, and brings him out. In a short time, not more than one hour, the boat was filled. New Sporting Mag. June, 1834. Indians Fishing in North America. - They catch fish with nets, hooks, and harping irons. They take also a fork of wood, with two grains or points, and set a gin to it, almost in the same way as they catch partridges in France; they put it into the water, and when the fish (which are in greater plenty than here) go to pass through, and find they are entered in a gin, they snap together |