One day the ferry-boat brought over two gentlemen and their wives, who took a slight refreshment at the inn, while the horses were baiting. One of the gentlemen smoked a cigar as I was lounging near the door, a brilliant sun without wind putting fishing out of the question. The pointer was much admired by the gentleman, who supposing it to be my property, asked me if I wished to part with him? On being informed that he belonged to Mr. C, who considered him beyond price, and said he had refused fifty guineas for him, he repeated the ventriloquist's name two or three times, and then gave me his card, asking me to deliver it to Mr. C on his return home from salmon fishing, and with his compliments, to say he was "ready to receive the fifty pounds he lent him in Glasgow, at his earliest convenience." I undertook to perform part of the office, but to qualify the matter by saying that the gentleman would be glad to hear from Mr. C as soon as possible. At night, Mr. C returned in a C— returned in a drenching rain, and after making himself comfortable, I executed my disagreeable office. Mr. C― twiddled the card about; said he once knew a man of the same name, but not spelt in that way; said it was evidently a mistake, as he never was in Glasgow, while he gave his dog a kick, as if he thought he had brought about the mischief, and then whistled and sung harder than ever. Well, to use a somewhat vulgar phrase, the thing looked "mighty fishy." Our friend was out all day, and sometimes all night after that, always inquiring, on his return, whether any strangers had been at the inn ?

I shall not attempt to give a detailed account of our month's fishing on Loch Awe; suffice it to say, that we were killing from six to twenty dozen trout almost daily. I shall have to say more of this Loch before I conclude, as I was destined to return again to North Port Sonachon, where one or two incidents occurred that may amuse some of my readers.

(To be continued.)

FISHERMAN :

WINNER DURING THE SEASONS 1856 AND 1857 OF FORTY-SIX RACES. ENGRAVED BY E. HACKER, FROM A PAINTING BY HARRY HALL.

BY CASTOR.

Fisherman, bred by the late Mr. Fowler, of Erdington, in 1853, is by Heron, out of Mainbrace, by Sheet Anchor, her dam by Bay Middleton, out of Nitocris, by Whisker.

Heron, foaled in 1833, is by Bustard out of an Orville mare. He was a very useful country race-horse, although perhaps hardly ever done quite justice to. As it was, he won no less than seventeen times, including the Liverpool Cup, and some other good stakes. Since the decease of Mr. Fowler, Heron has not been advertised as a public stallion, and has not, indeed, we believe, been allowed of late to cover any mares whatIn addition to Fisherman, however, he is the sire of Moorcock,

ever.

(his only son in the stud), Kingfisher, Oyster-Girl, Whalebone, The Drag, Ibis, Purser, Vestris, Egret, Bull-Finder, Ribaldry, Water-Rat, The Witch, Charlotte, and Sea-Fowl. But there is nothing amongst these to compare with their younger brother.

Mainbrace, bred by Mr. Watt, in 1844, has also thrown nothing worthy of Fisherman. She went into Mr. Fowler's stud in 1848, and produced an own brother to Fisherman, called Purser, the following spring; another own brother, Midshipman, in 1852; and a filly called Wave, by Gabbler, in 1851. On the decease of Mr. Fowler, in the beginning of the year 1853, she was sold at the hammer, in foal with Fisherman, to a Mr. Smith, for 80 guineas, and at once transferred to Mr. Halford's stud. Mareschino, by Peppermint, is all we hear of, here. Mainbrace, who came out in Mr. Gully's colours, was no great performer.

Fisherman is a dark-brown horse, standing close on sixteen hands and an inch high. He has a coarse head, rather wide between the ears, very strong neck, good oblique shoulders, and great depth of girth. He has a short back, with good back ribs; is high on the rump, drooping towards the tail, which is thin and ragged. His arms are large, and set on forward in the shoulder; he has capital knees and hocks, with plenty of bone; long pasterns, and a somewhat large oval foot. His especial peculiarities are, that the angle from the hip to the round bone is very acute, with a remarkable straightness in his quarters and gaskins, and a rather unusual length of leg. If we couple these with a curious kind of knock-kneed action in walking, the tall gaunt frame of Fisherman is easily distinguishable. In fact, like many of Mr. Tom Parr's trump cards, he is altogether but a mean-looking horse, and will rank with Sauce box, Mortimer, and others, as more useful than ornamental. He has learnt, too, another of the Wantage secrets, and despite his eighty-odd races, is now as sound as the day he was foaled. A star on the forehead, and some white on a fore and hind coronet complete, the passport.

PERFORMANCES.

In 1855 Fisherman, then two years old, made his first appearancein Mr. Halford's colours-at Newton, where he ran second in a field of seven to Mr. Morris's Tilly for a two-year-old stake. He ran three other races unsuccessfully, but in good company, for Mr. Halford, and was then sold to Mr. Parr, who gave him two more spins as a two-yearold, but without effect; and after his race at Abingdon, in August, threw him up for the year.

In 1856 Fisherman ran no less than thirty-four times, beginning at Lincoln in February, where he was second to Tame Deer for the Trial Stakes; and finishing by winning a Free Handicap on the Thursday, in the Newmarket Houghton Meeting. He went from Lincoln to Nottingham, where he won the Trial Stakes; then on to Warwick, where he again won the Trial Stakes, and for a third time the Trial at Northampton. He next ran second, in a very large field, to Hospitality, for the City and Suburban Handicap, at Epsom Spring; was beaten a head for the Craven at Newmarket Craven Meeting, and was placed third

in the same week for the Newmarket Handicap. Then he won the Spring St. Leger and a Biennial Stake at York Spring, the Chesterfield Stakes-giving lots of weight to everything-and a plate the day following at Chester. At Manchester he ran away with the Corporation Stakes, and at Bath with the Gold Cup. At Ascot Heath he won Her Majesty's Vase, beating Coroner, Winkfield, and some others very easily. Next, striking out for the North, he carried off the Cumberland Plate at Carlisle, giving Warlock nearly two stone and a beating. At Liverpool he walked over for the Croxteth Stakes, and made nearly as easy work of the Stanley. At Nottingham he won Her Majesty's Plate one day, and a stake at Stamford the next. At Goodwood he threw out for the Cup, and at York was absolutely last for the Queen's Platea good field, including Fandango, Typee, and Stork, against him; but he won the Hopeful before leaving for the West, where at Plymouth he walked over for Her Majesty's Vase. Melissa, then in her best form, beat him for the Warwick Cup; but Rogerthorpe, also in his glory about this time, succumbed to him for the Guineas at Weymouth. At Doncaster, with a steadier of 9st. 3lb., he was beaten a neck by Sneeze for a Handicap Plate; won Her Majesty's Plate after a dead heat with Zeta, aud walked over for the Scarborough Stakes. At Pontefract he ran third for the West Riding Handicap; at Bedford won the Royal Plate in a canter; at Newmarket Second October Meeting a Plate of fifty, and in the Houghton Meeting a Handicap as already mentioned.

This was a strong year's work for a three-year-old, and nothing but Mr. Parr and the Rail could have pulled him through it. However, there was quite as good to come, and Fisherman began again early in '57 at the same round game. He came out six-and-thirty times, opening at Liverpool the first week in March, with winning the Trial, and concluding the year's performances over the same course for the Great Autumn Cup, for which he ran fifth-of course at some stones the worst of the weights. Going from Liverpool to Salisbury he beat a bad lot for the Queen's Plate. The next week Warwick brought him into far better company. Gemma di Vergy, Stork, Wentworth, and Melissa succumbed to him for the Trial Stakes-one of the most interesting races of the season. At Northampton he won another Royal Plate. At Epsom Spring, with 9st. on him, he was not placed for the Metropolitan. At Chester Gemma di Vergy turned the tables on him for the opening race, as well as for the Eaton Stakes; but he secured here again another royal hundred. At Stockbridge he won the Steward's Plate, beating Polestar by a head, and the next day the Queen's Plate at Winchester. He came out twice at Liverpool in July, winning the Croxteth, against Lord Nelson, in a canter, and walkingover for the Queen's Plate. It was here for the first time he appeared in Mr. Starkey's name and colours. At Goodwood he ran fifth for the Stakes, and third for the Cup. At Wolverhampton he won the Wolverhampton Stakes and the Cleveland Cup, beating Oakball in both races. At York, with three to one on him, he was beaten by Warlock for the Guineas on the Wednesday; and travelling all night with Wells, won the Berkshire Handicap, at Abingdon, on the Thursday. At Egham he won Her Majesty's Plate, without an effort; at Hereford "the Royal Plate," as so called; at Warwick the Queen's Plate, again beating