They then have a pole about six feet long, with a round piece of wood secured at each end, and kneeling on the middle cross piece, with this paddle, they make these (boltszas) fly over the water, never mind how rouMi it is. The fishing line is made of the fibre of some kind of bark, which, however, is very strong. The hook is a piece of bone or shell, with a very sharp point. They go out into the open sea, not far from land, and when they have reached the fishing ground, secure their paddles, then coil the line upon their right hand, holding the hook in their left, with much dexterity throw the whole out in a straight line, then commence hauling in as fast as possible, and in almost every case they hook a tine fish, weighing from four to ten pounds, which they throw into a small net attached to the boltsza.
The surf rolls in on the beach in the harbor full twelve feet high, and it is really amusing to see the litttle Indian children of both sexes, run and dive through this almost perpendicular wall of water, and come out on the other side, then wait for the next roller to bring them in on its crest, and then slide down upon the beach again. There is a Roman Catholic Jesuit here, who appears to be a well educated and excellent man. He has a bamboo sehoolhouse erected on a hill near by, overlooking the harbor. This building answers for both sehoolhouse and church. He invited me to be present at school hours; so I accompanied him up, and we got to the school just as they were about to take their dinner, — each one bringing their own, which consisted of a dried fish, and a bunch of bananas.
And before a morsel of food went into their mouths, they dropped on their knees, and with eyes uplifted, repeated, Gracios Dios — Thank God, and then went cheerfully to their dinner. The compensation to this good man was one egg a week, which was brought by each scholar every Friday. There were about forty children, chiefly boys, and entirely naked. The letters were pasted upon a small flat board; and the Jesuit told me that they were all bright scholars and behaved remarkably well. The reason why so few girls attend the school is, that they are generally wanted at home to assist their mothers in pounding corn, taking care of the younger ones, &c. And besides, it is not thought to be indispensably necessary for a woman to have an education, as they are generally looked upon as a sort of drudge, made only for servitude!