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CORMORANT FISHING IN JAPAN One who has witnessed Cormorant fishing In Jaiun describes it thusly thuslyA A long flat boat on Lake Gifu poled slowly through the shallow water until the deeper water is reached when a long oar Js used by the boatman standing on a high poop at the stern of the boat boatIt It is moved slowly back and forth us in sculling In the bow stands the fisherman while in the water immediately in front are as many as a dozen cor ¬ morants swimming leisurely ahead each held iu check by a ring around its neck far down and lines extending to the fishermans hand handIt It is much ns a driver in a circus parade handling a half dozen horses The ring is so arranged as to prevent the cormorant from swallowing the fish The birds are skillfully handled handledWe We are now ready to go fishing It is night and great braziers of blazing charcoal extended from the bow of the boat light up the scene and the sur ¬ rounding vjaters And so we proceed until a cor ¬ morant maites a sudden dive and brings up a fish which is temporarily stowed away awayThen Then another fish and so on until thre is standing room only in the neck ot the cormorant when he is taken out of the water and the fish removed removedAnd And so with the other birds Half a dozen fish may be stowed away in each cormorant iu thi fashion Dinner is now served and resting com ¬ fortably beneath awnings and among cushions we partake of vegetables from patterned boxes pick ¬ les eggs and raw fish with a dressing called soy all served on lacquered trays traysThis This is followed with tea and cakes notably n delicious cake called castilo And that night on your return home with the pickles and the tgtrs and the cakes and the raw fish in convention us seinbled within you dream dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before
