Old New Zealand.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 982, 24 December 1890, Page 6 (Supplement)

Old New Zealand.

AN ILL-STARRED FISHING EXCURSION.

By Lieutenant-Colonel McDonnell.

A favourite amusement in the long autumn evenings on the northern rivers Hokianga and Kaipara was spearing patiki, or flounder, and catching mullet. The latter we used to catch in great numbers, and they varied in size from two to eight inches in length. A deep, squabby canoe, nob too big, was the best to use, and an expert paddler, using a good springy paddle, was sufficient crew. The way was to sit well on to the edge of the canoe, keeping the gunwale on the side next the shore close to the water’s edge ; the opposite gunwale would of course be high out of the water. Keeping the canoe in this position, pull swiftly down the river at night against the young flood tide, keeping pretty close to the shelving mud and sandbanks. The mullet feed off these banks at night, but the canoe and the splashing of the paddle (for one ought to dash sprays of water with the paddle along the length of the canoe), startle the fish, and they spring high in the air to reach deeper water ; but may, in thus trying to avoid danger, leap right into the canoe. Often the rower receives a smart blow on the face from a good-sized fish, in its attempt to escape. I have seen about 800 or 800 fish, big and little, captured in thisway during onebide. Patiki, or flalfish, are mostly speared by torch-light on the sand flats during the warm summer night, when there is no moon. This sport ought to begin at young flood, when the tide gently steals on to the extensive river flats. On calm nights, when the water is clear and limpid, this sport is exciting. As you walk with bare feet through the water treading on the soft, velvety sand and mud, still warm from the hot summer sun, your torch burning brightly, and well balanced on your left shoulder, spear in band ready to commence the sport. VVhat wonder that it should be so ? I used now and then to make up a party of about a dozen young fellows, with a proportion of younger lads to carry out sport, look after the canoes, and do fag. ‘ Teweras ’ (devils) we used to call them, as they were principally the sons of the unconverted Maoris, who had refused to leb them be baptised, lest they degenerated and be despoiled. The term * devils ’ was given by the missionaries to distinguish the heathens

from the Christians, who were called • msionaries.’ These young limbs of Sahf„' were very smart fellows, and behaved commonly well on any expedition requirin' activity and acuteness. Our costumes wlr light and varied on these sporting j aun ! ® and generally consisted of a shawl VraDn«,i tightly around the waist, after the fashion of a kilt, and another one looped over the left shoulder serving as a pad for the torch m rest on, and fastened under the ri»ht arm leaving it free to strike. Ihere red schnapper fresh run in from the sea t be speared. Think of thab ! fish, too bln« as the ocean’s depths ; silver mullet oauseH before us, resting lazily for an instant on their transparent fins, glittering sparkling in their beauty, but dazzled bv the crimson light shed by cur torches Ahi that pause cost the handsome fish its life! at that moment a bright young girl darter! from under the shadow of our torch and sent her barbed spear’s point right through the poor mullet, who quivers and dies with a wild splash. ‘ Naku ! naku !’ (mine t mine !) cries Alanu o to Koralia (Bird of the bush !), as she pouched her spoil, f or a i. though she had been named Aholibamah after one of Esau’s wives, we saw that ih was out of all poetry to call Birdie by such an outlandish name. I nearly lost my life on one of these trios 1 had left my companions after we had landed in our canoes, intending to circle round a good-sized flat that was shaped somewhat like an inverted saucer, and raJ°‘ n m y P ar ty in about an hour’s time. As I left them they called out something bub 1 did not pay any attention. The tide was just at the turn for flood. I passed across the bed oi a creek without remarking the fact I struck for the edge of the water and began spearing fer fish, which wereunusually plentiful I went on, and roundimr the flat, headed back again ; but the /wfe had risen rapidly, and had filled the ct&k level with the banks and edge of the flat which was now bberally surrounded by water. I still perceived I was on the bank of the river, and thought if I walked on I would soon hear or see our party, but I was still circling the flat, the rapidly rising tide concealing my former tracks. Each round I made narrowed the circle, until I was brought up standing in the centre of the mud fiat, and the waters soon covered all. I fixed the butt end of my torch in the mud, and tried all points; but the water deepened everywhere, and I returned each time to my torch.

It was now about half tide, and the river was running like a mill dam. I was nearly opposite our settlement, and could see the lights in the window about 800 yards off; the distance was nothing to swim. I did not like leaving my fish ; but I was getting cold, having been in the water some time, and a cold air had set in. I planted mv torch firmly in the mud, fastened my shawls and / fish to it, and the spear, to bring away next day at low w ater, provided that fish and fisherman escaped the sharks, I commenced to swim for home. I had not got more than a couple of hundred yards, when I was enveloped in a thick fog, j that swept over me like a high, white wall of surf, as it rolled up the river, and it j soon shut out everything from my view, I shore, lights, stars and all. I swam on, keeping, as I thought, in the right direction. I grew tired after a time; but I kept at it. I dived to find bottom so that I might judge by the depth the distance from the shore, but I rose to the surface more tired tlian before. I turned on my back and rested ; but my whole frame was getting numbed. I soon felt my strength going, and I began to think of strange things. A man (James Oadland) had been drowned not many weeks since, and the ebb tide had left his remains on the beach near our house. I now remembered with horrid distinctness, the terribly loathsome sight the body presented. I too, I thought, will soon become as I saw him. Eels will eat tne,.. herrings will nibble my eyes out, I will swell up. Ugh ! No ! —l’ll pluck up and have another try. A floating stick touched my neck, and I sprang up in the water shuddering, for I fancied that this might be the etl. ‘Aly mother,’ I thought, ‘will never see me more ; my dog, Leo, will miss me in the morning, and the old missionary will be glad and say, “ I said no good would come of those excursions.” ’ This last thought stung me and I was on my mettle again. I swam on, but soon gave in. ‘No; no use struggling any more,’ I thought, ‘ I hope no one will find me,’ etc., .when my breast struck on a warm mud bank. I drew myself up the slimy, shelving bank, and sat in the mud, that still retained the heat of the previous day. How I rolled in that mud, and hugged it to me in gratitude ; I plastered it over me to keep me warm ; I had never tried it before, but I have had a great respect for pigs, since, and I know now, if others don’t, delight that those highly-intelligent animals experience in rolling in warm muddy puddles. Well, • enough is as good as a feast,’ and I got home about daylight. I had struck the river bank about a mile further up than our station. For a few days I felt somewhat stiff, but otherwise had nothing to complain of. A native lad went for my spear and shawls, and brought them and all my fish, about as much as he could carry. I lost nothing, as the spear and remains of the torch stief s had held the lot firmly where I had left them.