Seated on the branch of some overhanging tree, while his keen eye scans the depths below, he watches for a large fish, and as it passes, he lets fly his arrow with unerring aim, and impales the luckless victim.  Some tribes fish at night, by torchlight, spearing the fish who are attracted by the light.  In Nepaul the bark of the Hill Sirres is often used to poison a stream or piece of water.  Pounded up and thrown in, it seems to have some uncommon effect on the fish.  After water has been treated in this way, the fish, seemingly quite stupefied, rise to the surface, on which they float in great numbers, and allow themselves to be caught.  The strangest part of it is that they are perfectly innocuous as food, notwithstanding this treatment.

Fish forms a very favourite article of diet with both Mussulmans and Hindoos.  Many of the latter take a vow to touch no flesh of any kind.  They are called Kunthees or Boghuts, but a Boghut is more of an ascetic than a Kunthee.  However, the Kunthee is glad of a fish dinner when he can get it.  They are restricted to no particular sect or caste, but all who have taken the vow wear a peculiar necklace, made generally of sandal-wood beads or neem beads round their throats.  Hence the name, from kunth meaning the throat.

The right to fish in any particular piece of water, is let out by the proprietor on whose land the water lies, or through which it flows.  The letting is generally done by auction yearly.  The fishing is called a shilkur; from shal, a net.  It is generally taken by some rich Bunneah (grain seller) or village banker, who sub-lets it in turn to the fishermen.

In some of the tanks which are not so let, and where the native proprietor preserves the fish, first-class sport can be had.  A common native poaching dodge is this:  if some oil cake be thrown into the water a few hours previous to your fishing, or better still, balls made of roasted linseed meal, mixed with bruised leaves of the ’sweet basil,’ or toolsee plant, the fish assemble in hundreds round the spot, and devour the bait greedily.  With a good eighteen-foot rod, fish of from twelve to twenty pounds are not uncommonly caught, and will give good play too.  Fishing in the plains of India is, however, rather tame sport at the best of times.

You have heard of the famous mahseer—­some of them over eighty or a hundred pounds weight?  We have none of these in Behar, but the huge porpoise gives splendid rifle or carbine practice as he rolls through the turgid streams.  They are difficult to hit, but I have seen several killed with ball; and the oil extracted from their bodies is a splendid dressing for harness.  But the most exciting fishing I have ever seen was—­What do you think?—­Alligator fishing!  Yes, the formidable scaly monster, with his square snout and terrible jaws, his ponderous body covered with armour, and his serrated tail, with which he could break the leg of a bullock, or smash an outrigger as easily as a whale could smash a jolly-boat.