Swedish Crown Prince and Princess Go Cormorant Fishing: A Quaint Sight From Our Own Cosnesronoenr Tokyo. Sept. 10.
In a flag-and-flower-bedecked boat, propelled by semi-naked coolies and twinkling "with - multi-coloured lanterns, the shifting of whose light and s limmering waters. of the Nagara river made a bewildering play of opalescent glow, Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Sweden to-day witnessed one of Japan's quaintest sights—cormorant, fishing.
The Heir to the Swedish Throne Jand his Consort entered a [specially-prepared boat just as the cloak of night was drawing down, The after-glow of the sunset lit up the surrounding hills cheers and wavings of flags, Their Royal Highnesses were poled out to midstream and towards the fishing grounds, The most famous of these fishing grounds are at Gifu, a few miles from Kyoto, former capital of Japan and, az the royal boat, followed by several others pulled upstream darkness settled on the land, The banks of the stream here are thickly wooded and, like, wraiths, could be discerned bands of school children and villagers waving twink ing onockin (paper lanterns) as the! Tittle "Aotilla" was quickly propelled. The night was an ideal one, not too warm and not too chilly. The sky was clear, the firmament. being studded with points of jewelled fire. Tt was a picture out of the past, Dinner for the royal couple was served on their boat and, after some refreshment, the strains of fore music rose on the night's stillness exquisite, exotic and delightful, largely because of, the unusual setting.
Further ispstréam were flickering] torches, the flames swayed hither and thither by the night wind. They were torches lit by the fishers. -The boats then drew around the royal craft, the cormorant birds sitting in strange dignity, not dissimilar to the pose Edgar Allen Poe's raven must: have assumed. More, torches were lit, some of these being waved across the surface of the water. The sudden light is supposed to mesmerism the fish, besides enatfing the keen and quick eye of thecormorant to seize its victim.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.