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weight could hardly be expected to rise to fly, nor could he well be “ landed" by a “single gut,” or silk or hair line, however expertly "played" with. When the object, therefore, is to hook an eighty pound cod-fish we resort to measures so simple, rude, and artless, that I really blush to record them.

A night line of half-inch rope is procured, and attached to it is a hook of about the same thickness, baited with a tolerably-sized piece of raw flesh. No foolish anxiety is displayed in hiding the hook in the meat, the fish in this part of the globe being, as I have already said, unsuspicious and confiding in their natures. This line is then tied to a log or dead tree, on the bank of the river, and the hook, weighted, is thrown into the stream. There it is left, and the easy angler goes to bed with the firm belief that a large fish will be dangling at the end of his line in the morning. He is seldom disappointed ; but this, as autors say, is quite the “heavy business," requiring little skill or study, and falling generally to the lot of the unambitious pot sportsmen, who care more for the eating their fish than for catching it.

Those who follow the higher and more scientific line of business, take rod and line, and getting into a boat, take a station in some part of the river where the eddy meets the current at a sudden sinuosity of the stream. Baiting with the tail of a crayfish, they cast their lines, fishing, as it is termed, “ deep," and in a short time a fish is sure to be hooked. When this happens, the best way to play him would be up the stream, or, if he turns down the current, to let him go with a tight line, keeping the strain steady, until he gradually becomes exhausted. I say these methods might be best, but the South Australian, putting his trust in a thick line and strong rod, pulls his fish into the boat without triling with him at all.

There are four kinds of fish that can be taken by the rod and line, the cod, the pulyee, the colubco (carp), and the toorroo, or black perch. They generally run from five to fifteen pounds' weight, are all well flavoured, especially the cod, and will reward the angler at dinner-time for his exertions.

My first day's fishing on the Murray may perhaps afford a good sample of the style of sport to be expected on this river. friend Mr. S. E. Eyre was resident magistrate on the Murray River, I used occasionally to visit him at his station, Morroondee, situated on the west bank of the river in the midst of a delightful wilderness of game, a paradise for a sportsman ; my visit was generally limited to a week, and as my object was sport, no time was lost in pursuing it. The black fellows, over whom my friend exercised unlimited sway, were famous auxiliaries, and entered enthusiastically into all sorts of schemes for pursuing our game, either in shooting, hunting, or fishing. In fact, the natives of Australia are certainly of the genus

“sportsman,” and often amused me by the excitement they displayed when I was out shooting or fishing with them, if, as was frequently the case, they discovered a flock of ducks or geese among the reeds sooner than I did.

Early one morning a young friend of mine, with two black fellows and myself, embarked in a small boat which we stored with crayfish for bait, and provender for luncheon, and pulled down the river to a favourable spot for fishing. The scenery was delightful and varied; long reedy swamps tended to wooded embankments, from which occa

When my a nati

sionally arose the red fossil cliffs, and at times these cliffs, from one hundred to one hundred and fifty feet high, would shoot abruptly from the water, their sides perforated with coves and covered with owls, cormorants, crows, and hawks. The birds were basking in the sunshine, and seemingly enjoying the greatest possible pleasure with the least possible exertion. Now and then

dog's head would peer out, or an antipodean fox would be seen sneaking at the foot of the bank. Here and there, as we passed a swamp, the reeds would be agitated by something approaching the water, and as they opened a black man or woman, entirely in nature's garb would salute us.

The day was fine, as most days are in Australia, especially during the month of February. It was also quite calm, and consequently broiling hot, but without being oppressively so, for the heat here has not the effect of completely prostrating man's energy, for which the heat of India is so celebrated, our black companions quite revelled in it—the hotter the sun's beams became, the higher their spirits rose. As a protection against the sun, they had greased themselves well with some naturally scented pomatum, the odour of which gave a “gamey" flavour to the air. I, however, could have dispensed with it, and found refuge in the clouds of smoke that issued from M-'s pipe.

As we passed the lagoons, we beheld their shallow waters crowded with game--the pelican, the swan, goose, duck, teal, widgeon, and other aquatic birds quite swarmed on them ; numerous hawks hovered overhead ; high up was the Australian eagle ; and near the water the fishhawk flapped his heavy wings. As we passed some dead trees near the bank we saw the blue cranes watching for their prey from the branches; while the nankeen birds gathered in flocks on the high boughs; and brilliantly coloured parroquets swept by us with shrill shrieks.

Having arrived at a part of the stream favourable for sport, we commenced pulling off the tails of the unhappy crayfish and baiting our hooks with them. In a very short time we had eight-and-forty tooroo in the boat. This fish when caught makes a singular humming noise, in consequence of which, I fancy, the natives have given it the name of tooroo, as that word somewhat resembles the sound. For a time our success left us, and we were tantalised with a succession of nibbles which brought us nothing but disappointment and sour temper, and when I surveyed the fish we had caught, I was dissatisfied with their size, the largest not exceeding two pounds in weight.

Feeling a soul above this sort of sport, I cast my line forth further from the bank, and found a heavy fish immediately hooked. My delight was soon somewhat abated by fears for my friend's line and rod. Both appeared too frail to contend with the lively fish on the hook. However, cheered by the black fellows, who were in ecstasies, I held on and soon saw rise to the surface a fine spotted “Pulyee.” How he did flounder and splash about ! and how I, abandoning all scruples of conscience about injuring my friend's tackle, did pull away at him, until he lay gasping at the bottom of the boat! He weighed rather more than ten pounds. The pulyee is a singular kind of fish (of course the name I give is the native one), in form it differs from all other fish I have seen ; its body is deep and flat, somewhat wedge-shaped towards the tail ; its dorsal fin extends in an uninterrupted line to the vent, forming the tail ; it is spotted and scaleless; and from its upper lip fleshy protuberances hang down, similar

to those of the barbel. To some tastes it is

very

delicious eating ; to me it appears too rich, but as I am of a bilious temperament and capricious in my tastes, my opinion must not influence the gastronomist.

Our success now returned to us, and we soon caught many large fish, both cod and pulyee, until again fortune and the fish left us; and after some time, our patience went too. So we pulled to land, took up our guns, and went a short distance into the wood to shoot some crested pigeons. It was now nearly sunset, and about this time these little birds come down to the river to drink, and then hurry back to their woodland haunts. They are very swift on the wing, passing so rapidly by you that it requires a quick shot to bring them down. However, they give warning of their approach, by the whistling sound made by their wings, so that if the fowler tarries not in his aim, and holds his gun straight, he may bring down his bird without being a very first-rate shot. Mbagged some, I also was fortunate, and we soon returned to the boat.

We had now to pull up against the current, but this did not disturb M-or myself, for the blacks did the pulling, and we were philosophers enough not to feel the troubles of others. Our sable boatmen set to work with vigour for a time, but being naturally given to laziness, they soon slackened their exertions, and began pulling with variations. They caught crabs, pulled out of time, fell backwards, and did as much to retard our progress as to forward it. All this time they kept up an abusive conversation with each other. Their terms of abuse were characteristic and amusing. When one made some mistake, the other would tell him he had thin arms, narrow chest, and weak legs. He would retort, boast of his strength, and soon have an opportunity of reproaching his companion-with this savage “ chaffing" and bad pulling we were progressing slowly. For my own part, being of an indolent disposition, and much averse to all bodily exertion, I quite sympathised with my crew, but my friend M-, who spoke their language fluently, and who is somewhat choleric in his disposition, burst out into a torrent of abuse, threatened them with all sorts of disasters if our dinner was kept waiting, a calamity to which I had long before resigned myself. These uncivilised wild men of the woods, however, did not comprehend the sad misfortune of over-roasted meat and cold vegetables, and were stoically indifferent to a faded appetite. They pulled in spite of M-m's abuse, which he accompanied with violent gesticulation, worse and worse, so that the prospect of even a cold dinner was fast vanishing from my

mind. At length we arrived opposite an avenue of trees, among which were encamped four tribes of natives, who were very busy quarrelling with each other, and a precious din they were making. The men were roaring out their passionate orations and the women were screaming forth invectives. My irritable friend, M, in a most authoritative tone bellowed. out to them, and gaining their attention commenced a conversation, which, I fear, was not governed by the strict rules of polite society in the mildest portions of it, he (using the natives' idiom) desired the whole host of them to go and “eat mud,” recommending such an occupation as a better way of employing their time than squabbling when they ought to be asleep. He questioned their courage, and tauntingly told them (that is, the men), he feared he was addressing a mob of foolish, squalling, garrulous women. The replies he heard to this speech were not very complimentary to him if one may judge from his conduct, for, seizing

his gun and sputtering forth an oath or two in good downright English, he desired our black boatman, who had listened to this dialogue in a state of high glee, to pull to the bank, and, as soon as the stem touched the reeds, he in a red-hot fury jumped on land.

I followed him, and we were soon in the midst of a multitude of savages, whose countenances, lit up by their fires, displayed a host of evil and savage passions. I thought of Captain Cook's fate, and felt but insecure in the midst of these wild devils

. They were all armed with spears, which they flourished above their heads, while they uttered most dreadful yells, and threw their bodies into most grotesque attitudes. Grimace and gesticulation go a long way in the savage's idea of a warrior. Long harangues, too, are a necessary part of their combats, which, of course, is an evidence of their degraded state, for in civilised society, when a quarrel ensues, the only gesticulation that prefaces it is the necessary one accompanying the act of pulling a man's nose, and the only grimace is that which is made when the feature before-mentioned is being pulled. As for long harangues, the short, laconic, little ceremonious notes appointing the place, the hour, and the weapons, can hardly come under the denomination of long harangues. So let us be proud of civilisation.

If I dreaded a similar fate to that of Captain Cook, my friend Mhad no such apprehensions, for he at once poured forth upon

them such a torrent of abuse, and spit out his anger with such vehemence, that in a short time he completely talked the whole tribes down. He told me afterwards that he had used nothing but insulting epithets. After this, Captain Warner may do what he likes with his secret, for he could not more effectually “ blow up" a town or an army and thus put an end to warfare, than my friend " blew up” these blacks and restored tranquillity. When a new war breaks out, instead of sending our regiments into the field well supplied with powder and ball, we had better till each soldier's mind with “chaff.”

Tranquillity being restored we returned to the boat, and arrived at Moroondee in time to find Eyre impatient for his dinner, which he had (under the influence of that Christian sentiment of “doing as you would be done by")

kept back for four hours. Thus ended my day's fishing on the Murray River.

I shall, perhaps, at some future day, speak of the methods the natives adopt in catching fish. It is a singular fact, that until the Europeans came amongst them they were unacquainted with the use of a hook.

II. THE TORRENS RIVER,

I must now descend from the broad river Murray to the narrow river Torrens. The Torrens rises in the lofty range of hills at the back or east of the town of Adelaide, and about five miles distant from the town. After rising in these hills, the Torrens flows through the plains to the reed beds near the sea-coast, where, like a bad bushman, it loses itself. It is a river of small dimensions, rather swollen and turbulent in winter, but placid and attenuated during the summer months. I said that it loses itself in the reed beds, it is a singular circumstance that this river, after flowing in the winter months in a large volume of water for several miles, spreads out and inundates a large tract of flat land adjoining the sea coast without passing into the ocean, and this accounts for its waters not being filled with a greater variety of fish.

However, there are three sorts of the family of the trout, the salmon, and the cod, all of which display a relish for the common earth worm ; the two first named are very voracious, but the cod remains at the bottom of the river among the prostrate trees, and will not take any bait that is not placed directly before his nose.

The little Torrens trout is quite a pattern to his English brother, being ready to take the bait at all seasons and during all changes of the weather.

The English trout has to be coaxed and wheedled to get hooked, the angler must make his line of certain invisible materials, must dress, too, in sober grey, or some unassuming colour, and, above all things, must keep as much out of sight of his suspicious prize as he possibly can. The Torrens trout, on the contrary, is quite a different sort of fellow. He is ready to take the bait whenever it is thrown into the water, and the best way of throwing it in is to do so as clumsily as it can be done, that a good loud splash may accompany it, and thus, like a postman's knock, inform the fish you have got something for them. The gallant little trout comes to it directly, and without a particle of vile suspicion swallows hook and worm, and is rewarded with a snug place in the angler's basket. The salmon is much of the same amiable disposition, so that a dish of delicious fish is soon procured; they do not run to any size or weight, a few ounces in weight and nine inches in length being all they attain to, but they are very nice eating, unsurpassed for delicate flavour by any fish in the world.

I said the Australian settler is not generally a sportsman, and in proof of the assertion I may state, that three-fourths of the people of Adelaide are ignorant to this day of the fact, that these fish are swimming almost past their doors, and may be caught by hundreds with but little trouble. There are also vast quantities of little crayfish in this river, resembling in every respect (except size) the lobster. These accommodate themselves to our rude methods of fishing, and

are caught in great numbers by a piece of flesh at the end of a string. They cling on to the flesh, are raised to the surface, and a net is then put under them into which they fall. They are boiled with salt and eaten with great relish by all classes.

Thus ends my account of fresh-water fishing in Australia. In the sea there are snapper, rock cod, parrot fish, red mullet, mullet, salmon, whiting, bream, guard-fish, the dog-fish, the shark, and to ambitious fishermen the porpoise and the whale. The snapper is the best for the table ; the rock cod and parrot fish are but poor stuff, in my opinion, but “de gustibus, &c.” They are all more or less of confiding natures, and ravenous appetites, and are decidedly carnivorous, if eating all kinds of raw flesh entitles them to that distinction; consequently the science of salt-water fishing at this end of the globe is reduced to very simple rules.

There is another fish I have not mentioned, as inhabiting the coast, namely, the barracoota. This innocent creature is lured to the hook by a piece of red cloth, and finds to his sorrow, when hooked, the folly of trusting to outward appearances. I am very glad I have thought of this fish, as it enables me to conclude with a moral. Young ladies, don't snatch too eagerly at a red coat, or you may have the fate of the poor barracoota !

Adelaide, South Australia, February, 1847.