Under the Southern Cross [pp. 205-216]

212 Under the Southern (ross. - L'?eb.
but the only sign of nest was a slight Hal and his mother took the contract
hollow scooped in the ground, in which to keep the islands supplied with fish,
were two, three, and sometimes four and as Hawaiians are willing to eat fish
eggs. three times each day, and oftener if you
The frigate birds made a little more desire, it was no sinecure. They fished
show of nest building; still their nests an hour or two nearly every day, usually
were very poor samples. They lay an standing on the rocks of the reef at low
egg about the size of a turkey~s. It is tide and fishing in the fissures, but someeatable, but not to be mentioned in the times taking the little dingey, with the
same breath as the others. house boy, Kala, to row them, and going
When there were no eggs to be outside the reef to fish in deep water.
gathered, there were fish to be caught, Here they caught the mullet, one of the
and Hal and his mother proved to be finest of fish; also a little pink-scaled
prize fishers. One day Hal hooked a fish that had a peculiar taste, but of
rock cod so big that he and his mother which one became very fond.
together could not land it, but had to Sometimes when there were no fish
hold on with all their strength until the needed the Madam would take Kala and
steward could run down from the house Hal and row idly along the reef, watchand pull it in for them. When it was ing through the water glass the beautihooked the Madam thought the hook ful forms of the coral flowers that grew
was caught in a rock of coral, and as in the gardens far down in the green
hooks were very scarce she pulled tbis waters. There is scarce a flower in the
way and that, trying to free thQ hook, garden that has not its counterpart in
but in vain. At last she and Hal put these lovely water gardens. Just outa heavy, steady strain on the line, and side the reef they grew in the greatest
slowly brought the rock, as they sup- profusion and of the finest forms. Probposed, to the surface. Hal was next ably they were sheltered from the force
the water and he nearly tumbled in as he of the waves by the reef beside them.
saw the goggle eyes of the fish rising At any rate they were more lovely, seen
up as the hook neared the surface. The through the medium of fifty or sixty feet
fish did not fight a bit until it reached of ocean water, than any fiowers that
the surface, then it made up for its pre- grow in open air.
vious inactivity. It dove down again, In and out among the glowing rock
nearly chafing the line in two on the flowers glided the many-colored, myriadsharp edges of the coral, and then sulk- formed fish, and often it was hard to
ed as it was slowly hauled to the top tell whether you were watching a fish
once more, only to repeat the perform- or some strange formation of coral, unance again and again, until the line be- til suddenly the fish remembered an
gan to show signs of wear. At last the appointment he had made with some
mother sent Hal to call the Chinese friend, and with a swish of his glittering
steward, and with his help the fish was tail and a dip of his glowing fins was up
landed. It was a monster of its kind. and off before you could turn the glass
It was four feet long, so big that it could to keep watch of him and see where he
not be cooked whole in the oven of the was going in such a hurry.
large range. This was the biggest fish Hal used sometimes to get tired of
caught on the island, but there were watchfng the coral, but his mother never
numbers of others which would astonish did. She would lie for hours with her
people who have not seen the size to face buried in the top of the long tunnel,
which fish that are small in northern watching the life under water. At first
waters grow in the warm currents near she wanted to secure some of the treasthe Equator.