There are some amateurs who will not
hear a word of disparagement about their hawks, but the decided
impression that I bear away with me from all I have learnt, is, that the
birds are rarely affectionate or intelligent.
FISHING.
Fishing-tackle.--Fish-hooks are made of iron, not steel, wire. While the
piece of wire is straight, it is laid along a little groove in a block of
wood, and there barbed by the stroke of a chisel, slantwise across it.
The other end is flattened by a tap of the hammer, or roughened, that it
may be held by the whipping; then the point is sharpened by a file, and
finished on a stone. The proper curvature is next given, and then the
hook is case-hardened (see "Case-hardening"); lastly, the proper temper
is given, by heating the hook red-hot, and quenching it in grease.
A traveller should always take a few hooks with him: they should be of
the very small and also of the middling-sized sorts; he might have a
dozen of each sort whipped on to gut; and at least a couple of
casting-lines, with which to use them: also several dozens of tinned iron
fish-hooks, of various sizes, such as are used at sea; and plenty of
line.
Fishing-lines.--Twisted sinews will make a fishing-line. To make a
strong fine line, unravel a good silk handkerchief, and twist the threads
into a whipcord. (See also "Substitutes for String.
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