Page:Life and Adventures of William Buckley.djvu/107

84 depth. When the tide turned, they came down with it again, and it occurred to me that if I could by any means stop them in their retreat by a sort of wear, I should have a great supply of food, thus placed at my command, as it would seem, by Providence; so I turned my thoughts to this all that day, and all night long. After examining the river, I found a spot suited to the purpose, where the tide did not rise above two feet, and here I resolved on making the attempt. With this view, I set to work making faggots with rushes and boughs of trees,— carrying them down to the bank of the river; and, at the same time, preparing long stakes, sharpened at one end, to make them fast in the sand. At length I had a sufficient number together to commence operations, and taking advantage of the tide when it receded, I set about my undertaking, and completed a wear, working incessantly; so that when the fish came down with the stream in thousands, they found themselves intercepted, and being apparently confounded at this, they turned tail up again, and then down, and so on; but by that time the top of my wear was above the surface, and they were obliged to surrender at discretion. I caught in this way, considerable numbers, and consequently was in great delight; for with them, and the roots growing thereabout, I had food in abundance. I gathered—or rather caught, I should say—heaps of them, and employed myself in drying and preserving them—many of these fish weighing three pounds each and more,—being also of very delicious flavour. With feelings of comparative content,