Tautai-taora is the name for stone-fishing, tautai meaning a “fishing instrument.” And taora meaning “thrown.” But tautai-taora, in combination, means “stone-fishing,” for a stone is the instrument that is thrown. Stone-fishing is in reality a fish-drive, similar in principle to a rabbit-drive or a cattle-drive, though in the latter affairs drivers and driven operate in the same medium, while in the fish-drive the men must be in the air to breathe and the fish are driven through the water. It does not matter if the water is a hundred feet deep, the men, working on the surface, drive the fish just the same.
This is the way it is done. The canoes form in line, one hundred to two hundred feet apart. In the bow of each canoe a man wields4 a stone, several pounds in weight, which is attached to a short rope. He merely smites5 the water with the stone, pulls up the stone, and smites again. He goes on smiting6. In the stern of each canoe another man paddles, driving the canoe ahead and at the same time keeping it in the formation. The line of canoes advances to meet a second line a mile or two away, the ends of the lines hurrying together to form a circle, the far edge of which is the shore. The circle begins to contract upon the shore, where the women, standing7 in a long row out into the sea, form a fence of legs, which serves to break any rushes of the frantic8 fish. At the right moment when the circle is sufficiently9 small, a canoe dashes out from shore, dropping overboard a long screen of cocoanut leaves and encircling the circle, thus reinforcing the palisade of legs. Of course, the fishing is always done inside the reef in the lagoon10.
“Très jolie,” the gendarme11 said, after explaining by signs and gestures that thousands of fish would be caught of all sizes from minnows to sharks, and that the captured fish would boil up and upon the very sand of the beach.
It is a most successful method of fishing, while its nature is more that of an outing festival, rather than of a prosaic12, food-getting task. Such fishing parties take place about once a month at Bora Bora, and it is a custom that has descended13 from old time. The man who originated it is not remembered. They always did this thing. But one cannot help wondering about that forgotten savage14 of the long ago, into whose mind first flashed this scheme of easy fishing, of catching16 huge quantities of fish without hook, or net, or spear. One thing about him we can know: he was a radical17. And we can be sure that he was considered feather-brained and anarchistic18 by his conservative tribesmen. His difficulty was much greater than that of the modern inventor, who has to convince in advance only one or two capitalists. That early inventor had to convince his whole tribe in advance, for without the co-operation of the whole tribe the device could not be tested. One can well imagine the nightly pow-wow-ings in that primitive19 island world, when he called his comrades antiquated20 moss-backs, and they called him a fool, a freak, and a crank, and charged him with having come from Kansas. Heaven alone knows at what cost of grey hairs and expletives he must finally have succeeded in winning over a sufficient number to give his idea a trial. At any rate, the experiment succeeded. It stood the test of truth—it worked! And thereafter, we can be confident, there was no man to be found who did not know all along that it was going to work.
Our good friends, Tehei and Bihaura, who were giving the fishing in our honour, had promised to come for us. We were down below when the call came from on deck that they were coming. We dashed up the companionway, to be overwhelmed by the sight of the Polynesian barge21 in which we were to ride. It was a long double canoe, the canoes lashed15 together by timbers with an interval22 of water between, and the whole decorated with flowers and golden grasses. A dozen flower-crowned Amazons were at the paddles, while at the stern of each canoe was a strapping23 steersman. All were garlanded with gold and crimson24 and orange flowers, while each wore about the hips25 a scarlet26 pareu. There were flowers everywhere, flowers, flowers, flowers, without end. The whole thing was an orgy of colour. On the platform forward resting on the bows of the canoes, Tehei and Bihaura were dancing. All voices were raised in a wild song or greeting.
Three times they circled the Snark before coming alongside to take Charmian and me on board. Then it was away for the fishing-grounds, a five-mile paddle dead to windward. “Everybody is jolly in Bora Bora,” is the saying throughout the Society Islands, and we certainly found everybody jolly. Canoe songs, shark songs, and fishing songs were sung to the dipping of the paddles, all joining in on the swinging choruses. Once in a while the cry Mao! was raised, whereupon all strained like mad at the paddles. Mao is shark, and when the deep-sea tigers appear, the natives paddle for dear life for the shore, knowing full well the danger they run of having their frail27 canoes overturned and of being devoured28. Of course, in our case there were no sharks, but the cry of mao was used to incite29 them to paddle with as much energy as if a shark were really after them. “Hoé! Hoé!” was another cry that made us foam30 through the water.
On the platform Tehei and Bihaura danced, accompanied by songs and choruses or by rhythmic31 hand-clappings. At other times a musical knocking of the paddles against the sides of the canoes marked the accent. A young girl dropped her paddle, leaped to the platform, and danced a hula, in the midst of which, still dancing, she swayed and bent32, and imprinted33 on our cheeks the kiss of welcome. Some of the songs, or himines, were religious, and they were especially beautiful, the deep basses34 of the men mingling35 with the altos and thin sopranos of the women and forming a combination of sound that irresistibly36 reminded one of an organ. In fact, “kanaka organ” is the scoffer’s description of the himine. On the other hand, some of the chants or ballads37 were very barbaric, having come down from pre-Christian times.
And so, singing, dancing, paddling, these joyous38 Polynesians took us to the fishing. The gendarme, who is the French ruler of Bora Bora, accompanied us with his family in a double canoe of his own, paddled by his prisoners; for not only is he gendarme and ruler, but he is jailer as well, and in this jolly land when anybody goes fishing, all go fishing. A score of single canoes, with outriggers, paddled along with us. Around a point a big sailing-canoe appeared, running beautifully before the wind as it bore down to greet us. Balancing precariously39 on the outrigger, three young men saluted40 us with a wild rolling of drums.
The next point, half a mile farther on, brought us to the place of meeting. Here the launch, which had been brought along by Warren and Martin, attracted much attention. The Bora Borans could not see what made it go. The canoes were drawn41 upon the sand, and all hands went ashore42 to drink cocoanuts and sing and dance. Here our numbers were added to by many who arrived on foot from near-by dwellings43, and a pretty sight it was to see the flower-crowned maidens44, hand in hand and two by two, arriving along the sands.
“They usually make a big catch,” Allicot, a half-caste trader, told us. “At the finish the water is fairly alive with fish. It is lots of fun. Of course you know all the fish will be yours.”
“All?” I groaned45, for already the Snark was loaded down with lavish46 presents, by the canoe-load, of fruits, vegetables, pigs, and chickens.
“Yes, every last fish,” Allicot answered. “You see, when the surround is completed, you, being the guest of honour, must take a harpoon47 and impale48 the first one. It is the custom. Then everybody goes in with their hands and throws the catch out on the sand. There will be a mountain of them. Then one of the chiefs will make a speech in which he presents you with the whole kit49 and boodle. But you don’t have to take them all. You get up and make a speech, selecting what fish you want for yourself and presenting all the rest back again. Then everybody says you are very generous.”
“But what would be the result if I kept the whole present?” I asked.
“It has never happened,” was the answer. “It is the custom to give and give back again.”
The native minister started with a prayer for success in the fishing, and all heads were bared. Next, the chief fishermen told off the canoes and allotted50 them their places. Then it was into the canoes and away. No women, however, came along, with the exception of Bihaura and Charmian. In the old days even they would have been tabooed. The women remained behind to wade51 out into the water and form the palisade of legs.
The big double canoe was left on the beach, and we went in the launch. Half the canoes paddled off to leeward52, while we, with the other half, headed to windward a mile and a half, until the end of our line was in touch with the reef. The leader of the drive occupied a canoe midway in our line. He stood erect53, a fine figure of an old man, holding a flag in his hand. He directed the taking of positions and the forming of the two lines by blowing on a conch. When all was ready, he waved his flag to the right. With a single splash the throwers in every canoe on that side struck the water with their stones. While they were hauling them back—a matter of a moment, for the stones scarcely sank beneath the surface—the flag waved to the left, and with admirable precision every stone on that side struck the water. So it went, back and forth, right and left; with every wave of the flag a long line of concussion54 smote55 the lagoon. At the same time the paddles drove the canoes forward and what was being done in our line was being done in the opposing line of canoes a mile and more away.
On the bow of the launch, Tehei, with eyes fixed56 on the leader, worked his stone in unison57 with the others. Once, the stone slipped from the rope, and the same instant Tehei went overboard after it. I do not know whether or not that stone reached the bottom, but I do know that the next instant Tehei broke surface alongside with the stone in his hand. I noticed this same accident occur several times among the near-by canoes, but in each instance the thrower followed the stone and brought it back.
The reef ends of our lines accelerated, the shore ends lagged, all under the watchful58 supervision59 of the leader, until at the reef the two lines joined, forming the circle. Then the contraction60 of the circle began, the poor frightened fish harried61 shoreward by the streaks62 of concussion that smote the water. In the same fashion elephants are driven through the jungle by motes63 of men who crouch64 in the long grasses or behind trees and make strange noises. Already the palisade of legs had been built. We could see the heads of the women, in a long line, dotting the placid65 surface of the lagoon. The tallest women went farthest out, thus, with the exception of those close inshore, nearly all were up to their necks in the water.
Still the circle narrowed, till canoes were almost touching66. There was a pause. A long canoe shot out from shore, following the line of the circle. It went as fast as paddles could drive. In the stern a man threw overboard the long, continuous screen of cocoanut leaves. The canoes were no longer needed, and overboard went the men to reinforce the palisade with their legs. For the screen was only a screen, and not a net, and the fish could dash through it if they tried. Hence the need for legs that ever agitated67 the screen, and for hands that splashed and throats that yelled. Pandemonium68 reigned69 as the trap tightened70.
But no fish broke surface or collided against the hidden legs. At last the chief fisherman entered the trap. He waded71 around everywhere, carefully. But there were no fish boiling up and out upon the sand. There was not a sardine72, not a minnow, not a polly-wog. Something must have been wrong with that prayer; or else, and more likely, as one grizzled fellow put it, the wind was not in its usual quarter and the fish were elsewhere in the lagoon. In fact, there had been no fish to drive.
“About once in five these drives are failures,” Allicot consoled us.
Well, it was the stone-fishing that had brought us to Bora Bora, and it was our luck to draw the one chance in five. Had it been a raffle73, it would have been the other way about. This is not pessimism74. Nor is it an indictment75 of the plan of the universe. It is merely that feeling which is familiar to most fishermen at the empty end of a hard day.
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1
eerie
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| adj.怪诞的；奇异的；可怕的；胆怯的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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4
wields
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| 手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的第三人称单数 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响） | |
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smites
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的第三人称单数 ) | |
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smiting
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的现在分词 ) | |
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7
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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8
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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lagoon
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| n.泻湖，咸水湖 | |
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gendarme
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| n.宪兵 | |
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prosaic
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| adj.单调的，无趣的 | |
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13
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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15
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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16
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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17
radical
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| n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的 | |
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18
anarchistic
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| 无政府主义的 | |
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19
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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20
antiquated
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| adj.陈旧的，过时的 | |
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21
barge
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| n.平底载货船，驳船 | |
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22
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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23
strapping
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| adj. 魁伟的, 身材高大健壮的 n. 皮绳或皮带的材料, 裹伤胶带, 皮鞭 动词strap的现在分词形式 | |
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24
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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25
hips
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| abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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27
frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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29
incite
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| v.引起，激动，煽动 | |
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30
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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31
rhythmic
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| adj.有节奏的，有韵律的 | |
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32
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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33
imprinted
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| v.盖印（imprint的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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34
basses
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| 低音歌唱家，低音乐器( bass的名词复数 ) | |
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35
mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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36
irresistibly
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| adv.无法抵抗地，不能自持地；极为诱惑人地 | |
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37
ballads
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| 民歌，民谣，特别指叙述故事的歌( ballad的名词复数 )； 讴 | |
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38
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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precariously
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| adv.不安全地；危险地；碰机会地；不稳定地 | |
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40
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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41
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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42
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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43
dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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44
maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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45
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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46
lavish
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| adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍 | |
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47
harpoon
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| n.鱼叉；vt.用鱼叉叉，用鱼叉捕获 | |
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48
impale
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| v.用尖物刺某人、某物 | |
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49
kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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50
allotted
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| 分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
wade
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| v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉 | |
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52
leeward
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| adj.背风的；下风的 | |
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53
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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54
concussion
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| n.脑震荡；震动 | |
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55
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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56
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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57
unison
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| n.步调一致，行动一致 | |
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58
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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59
supervision
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| n.监督，管理 | |
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60
contraction
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| n.缩略词，缩写式，害病 | |
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61
harried
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| v.使苦恼( harry的过去式和过去分词 )；不断烦扰；一再袭击；侵扰 | |
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62
streaks
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| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
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63
motes
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| n.尘埃( mote的名词复数 )；斑点 | |
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64
crouch
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| v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏 | |
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65
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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66
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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67
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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68
pandemonium
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| n.喧嚣，大混乱 | |
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69
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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70
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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71
waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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72
sardine
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| n.[C]沙丁鱼 | |
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73
raffle
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| n.废物，垃圾，抽奖售卖；v.以抽彩出售 | |
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74
pessimism
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| n.悲观者，悲观主义者，厌世者 | |
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75
indictment
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| n.起诉；诉状 | |
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