Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. (IA mobot31753002848262).pdf/31

 This, then, is the manner of their capture. There will come a moment when a great wave, like a wall, hurls itself on the beach. In fact these waves do it all the time! However, there is measure of two or three moments and no more when that wave stands like a wall between you and the fish, and the fish forget your existence. In that brief time your caster of the mullet net sprints down to the very verge of the breaking wave and up to or over his knees in the water; the net truly held and truly swung, with a long pendulum swing, clears the crest of the approaching wave and falls fairly on the group of mullet concealed in the hollow beyond, and in this way perhaps he may be fortunate enough to take one or two hundred fish in one cast. But you will serve a long apprenticeship, and will, when learning, throw half a hundred times and have no mullet.

When the sport is in full swing perhaps 10 or 20 men dart simultaneously down the beach and as many nets shoot out and over the waves. Suddenly there comes a wild yell of excitement. Pělong which have been disturbed or enclosed in the Anding nets leap several feet in the air and break their way through the nets. Silvery six-pounders and even larger fish instinctively jump when their brothers jump. There is a rush up the beach and a race back to the breakers with the Pělong nets. The nets are thrown at random (tebar rambang) in every direction. There may be a shoal of Pělong and, if so, some excitement I promise you.

Once a Pĕlong sees the net over him, he makes one upward dash to the apex of the net. The fisherman hurls himself at the fish and must grasp him then or not at all, for the next powerful dash for liberty takes the fish down to the bottom and he is under the chains and out of the net before you can wink. Out of your depth in a strong surf with a couple of lusty Pělong in your arms and a smother of net, chain and cord about you, you come to the conclusion that life was never more worth living and that if you are off to kingdom come you will take the Pělong with you.

As I write, at Tanjong Katong, Singapore, I can see some Boyanese, syces probably, with baby casting nets catching shrimps, sprats and baby fish in a sea like glass; a miserable messy business. The real gladiators of the casting net are to be found only on the East coast.

Our Mullet (Bělanak) include the Jĕmpul (Mugil planiceps) which attains at least a foot and a half in length.

The Tamok (M. waigiensis), according to Day, attains at least 3 feet in length. The Anding and Kěděra, which grow to about a foot and a half, are excellent eating.

The Bělanak tamok (M. waigiensis) is known in Australia as the Diamond Scaled Mullet. It attains a weight of several pounds and is of a pretty silvery colour, each scale being prettily margined with black.