302 FISH-HOOKS OF WOOD.
show the existence of a barbed metal hook differing only in
point of finish from the steel hooks of our own time, we
find hooks and gorges of infinitely more primitive type, and
formed of far cruder materials, in common use right down to the
present day.
Not only so, but even in England at this present moment,
there exist in actual use fish-hooks, or to be more correct,
gorges, of wood; of a form so primitive that the bronze hooks,
already referred to, are works of art compared to them.
Last year (1897) I heard by accident that fish hooks of
wood were still in use on the Essex Coast. I at once put my-
self in communication with several friends in the county with
a view to finding out what these hooks were, and where they
were used. I am sorry to say that most of my enquiries were
regarded as a supreme joke by my friend ; and I at length
concluded that my information was not correct. Another friend,
however, who had a yacht, told me he had seen long lines with
hooks of thorns hung out on the fences to dry, and armed with
this fact I visited a probable locality on the first opportunity.
Here my first enquiries, I regret to say, were regarded as
an attempt to get what I believe is known as a "Rise" out of
my man ; and his reply and those of others were not exactly
polite. At length, I met a fisher-boy who seemed to know the
the hooks quite well, and he directed me to a village some three
miles away.' I at once started off, and, arriving there, I made
further enquiries, and was directed to a man, whom we will
call "Tom," who was at that time engaged in tarring a boat.
"He was about the only man now who used wooden hooks'
Another mile brought me to a fishing boat, hauled up on the
shore and a man at work at her. " Are you Tom ------ " I
asked. He said he was, so I at once asked him if he used
wooden hooks. He said he did, and that he had a long line down
now, and if I would wait half-an-hour, the tide would be out
far enough, and he was going to get the fish. With that he went
on with his work and I cogitated over a pipe that, in half-an-
hour, I was going to participate in a fishing expedition which,
for primitive simplicity, was a distinct survival of that of
Neolithic man of perhaps four thousand years ago. When
the tide served, we visited the lines, and found a fair number of
flounders on them which Tom took charge of, whilst I, for a
consideration, took charge of the hooks and lines.