A HUMAN CORMORANT.

Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 68, 17 September 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

A HUMAN CORMORANT.

(From the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle.) Some weeks ago the Chronicle made mention of the wonderful feats performed at Moore's Lagoon by a coloured man named Wallace Bailey, dubbing him " the human kingfisher." Disrobing at one end of the lagoon he swam down to the open stretch of* water before the ciowd. Quickly, but with hardly a ripple of the placid surface, he sank beneath the water. Up to this time many present were* sceptical as to the result, and wheu a minute had nearly elapsed and still he had uot come to the top, the doubting ones felt certain that it was a sell of some kind. ' Hello ! there he is ' 'The human cormorant' came to the top like a cork, holding both hands aloft, in each appearing a struggling fish. This caused a flutter of applause, which encouraged the fisher, and, after throwing his prey out on the bank, he went down again. This, too, was the most successful dive of the day, for when he came up not only did he have a fish in each hand, but one in his mouth. This was enough in itself to satisfy the entire audience, although some were of the opinion that he had two or three fish tied at the bottom. During the morning he caught two or three bunches, and went iv again at threo o'clock. The water was too cold, and he could not stand it longer than an hour. He captured eight or ten fish, however, including trout, percb, bream, and catfish. It was wonderful work, indeed, and all who saw it were amazed. On leaving the water the man shook Uke a leaf, and narrowly escaped a chill. After most of the crowd bad left, a roporter talked sometime with Bailey. His story was certainly a strange one, and will bear repitition : — ' How long have yiW beeu at this business 1'

' About six years. But I can only enter the water in summer, and even then it freezes me clear to the bone.' • "What in the world ever possessed you to try such a thing 1' 'Well, sir, it was all in a dream. I took several of my female friends down to lagoon one afternoon on a fishing party, and while there I fell asleep I went to dreaming, and thought I just div under and caught 'em with my hands. When I woke up I went to the other end of the pond, took off my clothes, and jumped in. It felt mighty funny at first to keep my eyes opeu under water, but I stuck to it, and in a. little while caught two or three dozen fish. Since then I have tried it every summer, and vow I can see snags, stumps, or anything else. Why, I can tell you what kind of fish 1 see, and can get any kind they tell me.' ' After you catch sight of the fish, how do you secure him V 1 Oh, that's easy euough. He can get along pretty fast at first for about eight yards, but then he gets slow, and I just keep on and catch him, because, you see, I can stay under the water two or three minutes. The way I catch most of them is by finding their beds. Sometimes there's twenty or thirty huddled together, and then you go up easy, put one in your mouth, grab one in each hand, and come to the top. When the sun comes out good they drop to the bettom, a lot of them getting together in a bed, and goes to sleep, or gets stupid anyhow. That's the easiest way to catch 'em, but it doesn't make any difference to me, 'cause I'll get 'em, no matter what they do.' ' Do they ever fin you V ' Sometimes, especially if it's a catfish. See my hands, don't you, how they're scratched. That's what done it.'" ' Why do you prefer to fish in the lagoon V ' Because it's still water, and clear, too The river is usually muddy, aud besides, the cm rent is strong;. la eddy water I can out-swim a fish, but I can't do it against the stream. It doesn't trouble me a bit to catch 'em in any kind of pond or lake. In the river, if a fash started up stream he would leave me far behind. I have caught several in the Savannah, but it was only by quick work. Still water is the best.'