[907] See _The Fishing Gazette_, January 6, 1917. [908] See _The Field_, March 15, 1919. The fish is said to attain a weight of over 300 lbs. [909] See Planche I. of _Restitution de la Stèle des Vautours_, by Leon Heuzey. [910] _Civilisation of Babylonia and Assyria_ (Philadelphia, 1915), p. 387. [911] _A History of Sumer and Akkad_, _op. cit._ (1910), p. 131. The scene is shown in the Plate which fronts this section. CHAPTER XXXII THE EARLIEST RECORDED CONTRACT OF FISHING One of the very earliest—the earliest as far as I have found—recorded contract concerning fishing occurs in the second year of Darius II., 422 B.C. It runs thus[912]:— “RIBAT SON OF BEL-ERIBA THE SLAVE OF ENLIL-NADIN-SHUMI SPOKE OF HIS OWN FREE WILL TO ENLIL-NADIN-SHUMI SON OF MURASHU IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER: ‘THE FISHPOND BETWEEN THE VILLAGE AHSHANU AND THE FARM OF BEL-ABU-UZUR IN THE FIELD OF THE MASTER OF THE MERCHANTS AND THE FISHPOND IN THE FIELD OF THE PREFECT AND THE FISHPOND BY THE VILLAGE OF BIT-NATUN-EL, GIVE ME FOR YEARLY PAYMENT. EACH YEAR I WILL GIVE ONE HALF TALENT OF PURE SILVER, AND FROM THE DAY ON WHICH THE FISHPONDS ARE GIVEN TO ME FOR FISHING, DAILY WILL I SUPPLY FISH FOR THY TABLE.’ AND THEN ENLIL-NADIN-SHUMI HEARD HIM, AND HE GAVE HIM FISHPONDS FOR A YEARLY TRIBUTE OF HALF A TALENT OF SILVER. SIGNED IN THE PRESENCE OF TWO JUDGES, BEFORE SIX WITNESSES, AND A SCRIBE.” The Tablet is impressed with five seals.[913] The next recorded fishing contract deals with netting in Babylonian waters. It is dated the 25th day of Elul in the fifth year of Darius II., or 419 B.C. B. Meissner’s translation of the document may be rendered as follows[914]:— “MAKIMNI-ANNI THE SON OF BEL-AB-USUR, BI’-ILIYA THE SON OF ... & ISHIYA, NATIN THE SON OF TABSHALAM, AND ZADABYAMA THE SON OF KHINNI-BEL, OF THEIR OWN FREE WILL SPOKE AS FOLLOWS TO RIBAT, THE SON OF BEL-ERIBA, THE SERVANT OF RIMUT-NINURTA: ‘GIVE FIVE NETS AND WE WILL DELIVER TO YOU FIVE HUNDRED FISH OF GOOD QUALITY (TUḲḲUNU) BY THE 15TH DAY OF THE MONTH TISHRI IN THE 5TH YEAR!’ THEN RIBAT HEARKENED UNTO THEM AND GAVE THEM FIVE NETS.[915] ON THE 15TH OF TISRI THEY SHALL DELIVER THE FIVE HUNDRED FISH OF GOOD QUALITY. IF THEY DO NOT DELIVER THE FIVE HUNDRED FISH OF GOOD QUALITY ON THE APPOINTED DAY FOR THEIR DELIVERY, THEN ON THE 20TH DAY OF TISHRI SHALL THEY DELIVER A THOUSAND FISH. EACH ONE GOES BAIL FOR THE OTHER IN RESPECT OF MAKING UP THE NUMBER OF THE FISH. FOR THE FIVE HUNDRED FISH, BEL-IBNI, THE SON OF APLA, ALSO GOES BAIL.”