men rowed home, after a good potation of Highland whiskey, having taken a dram at each kill, and finishing the bottle when we were decided victors. I am no advocate for artificial baits; but I must admit that they were most meritorious in the Chapel Bay.

Soon after reaching our inn, we heard that there was to be a ball that night; and Donald, who pulled stroke in our fishing excursions, was to do the music on his fiddle. To keep two undergraduates from a participation in a scene of novelty, would require a most stringent Act of Parliament and a most vigilant police; but neither one nor the other interfered with us on the occasion.

We had scarcely concluded our dinner before the fiddle was going, with a vengeance sufficient to set all dancing. We were soon downstairs, and among the kilts and petticoats, and treating everybody to whiskey. Of course the landlord was pleased, and so was Donald, who fiddled better and faster after every dram, and continued to drink and fiddle on till four o'clock next morning, when, after taking some tea and a herring, he was as fresh as ever to row us on the loch at eight.

We retired from the ball at ten o'clock, but, after two hours' sleep, were awakened, and informed that it could not go on without us; so "The Bishop"-as my friend was termed by the landlord-knocked at my door, to tell me that he was going down to dance; and I soon joined him, by imitating his dress, which consisted of jacket and waistcoat, stockings and slippers. Thus we descended to the festive scene, and danced for an hour, leaving our shirts to represent kilts, to the great amusement of the assembly. I have been at Port Sonachan twelve years since this, and met with more than one who described to me the performance of "The Bishop and his friend," without recog nizing me in either an episcopal or friendly capacity.

A few days after the festive scene to which I have alluded, we determined, on the advice of the landlord, to try our luck in the river Awe, which was justly celebrated for its salmon-fishing, a portion of it being let, at the rate of four pounds per week for each ticket. At the time of our sojourn at Port Sonachan, litigation was going on between two rival proprietors who resided on opposite sides of the river, as each claimed the exclusive right on both banks. While the matter was thus in the hands of the learned profession, many persons helped themselves to a day's fishing.

After breakfast, we started in Cameron's boat, taking with us our men Donald and Sandy, for whose refreshment we had a good supply of whiskey, not forgetting porter for ourselves, together with a cold leg of mutton and a chicken, plenty of bread and cheese, and all the necessary et ceteras. These provisions were stowed away in the bow, and secured by a padlock. The Bishop and myself took possession of the stern, and put out two rods, one tackle being baited with a par, while flies were allowed to trail from the other rod.

Our passage lay through very deep water; and the flies, consequently, brought us trout of small dimensious, and as black as sweeps, while one specimen of the great lake-trout rewarded the par for his trouble. Having a distance of several miles to go, we gave our stern-places to the Highlanders after a while, and took our turn at the oars.

In the afternoon, at about three o'clock, we arrived at the highest point to which we could proceed up the river, being stopped by rocks and rapids just below a shepherd's cottage. We moored our boat to the bank, and after some time succeeded in killing a salmon, clean and silvery in appearance, and lively in his action, but not of gigantic size. We saw about twenty leaping in one pool; but it was no gothey were more bent on sport than hooking.

At eight o'clock, we put on sea-trout flies, using only one, to prevent entanglement in the gloamin'. My fly had a light olive-green body of pig's wool, one turn of silver tinsel at the tail, light wings from the mallard, and black hackle; while "The Bishop" patronized a claret-coloured body, with similar wings and hackle to my own. Both did pretty good execution; but my light body was the favourite. After a very short time, it became too dark to see; but our senses of feeling and hearing were suficient to enable us to obtain excellent sport. A fine clear moon rose; and when I was fishing beneath a wood, about a quarter of a mile in advance of my friend, the fish were hooking well, while in portions of the water beyond our reach they were plunging and splashing in all directions.

We continued fishing till nearly one in the morning, when we returned to our boat and supped; after which we went to the shepherd's house, who very kindly offered us beds in a clean spare room, where, without undressing, we snatched a couple of hours' sleep. At four o'clock our host gave us breakfast, consisting of milk, eggs, fresh butter, and bannocks; and at five we crossed the river, and were about to commence operations, when a tall gaunt man, in a kilt which had almost lost its varied colours from exposure to sun and storm, began to cast his fly upon the pool I have already mentioned. "Who's that?" said I to Donald; who replied, "My word! sir, your eyes are sharp; for I did na see the fellow amang the bushes; and it's just Malcolm the keeper himsel', and I'd better put a stop to him before he meddles wi' us." Away went Donald in a well-feigned rage, attended by Sandy; and in a few minutes there was a Gaelic vociferation, with the customary Celtic gestures, which argued a speedy result one way or the other. The keeper understood but a few words of the Saxon tongue, while "the Bishop and myself knew about as much of the language of the Gael. Presently up comes Donald alone, and says that, if we will only promise not to write to Malcolm's master (who was in London at the time), he would take down his rod and point out to us the best pools, and do what he could to ensure us sport. Well, of course, when Malcolm came up we were obliged to look naturally displeased at his fishing before us; but on having the matter explained, we promised, through Donald, who acted as interpreter, that we would not write to his master. Malcolm was very grateful, and did show us the pools, but no luck rewarded the ruse of Donald; not a fish did we stir: and we made Malcolm fish some pools, while we smoked our pipes and watched his good casting-to say nothing of his knowledge of the water. He said he wished he could give us a salmon to take away with us; he could make no better of it than ourselves. We launched our boat, after giving Malcolm a parting glass, and half-a-crown for his civility, and in a short time we were killing yellow trout in Loch Awe, to our hearts' content. We fished all the good bays on our home voyage, and

but

How do

landed with eleven dozen loch trout, fifty-two sea trout, one great lake specimen, and a solitary salmon. We were cold, hungry, and tired; and after an excellent hot supper, a glass of toddy, and a few of Mr. C's songs, retired to our "balmy slumbers," which continued till the following noon, when we found our boatmen still sleeping in their clothes, with an empty bottle and half-finished breakfast before them. As soon as they awoke, as fresh as if they had drunk nothing and been regularly in bed, we got them to interpret the remainder of Donald's Gaelic attack upon Malcolm, part of which they had related on our return from the river. "Well," said Donald, "I went up to the man, and said, No wonder gentlemen complain that they seldom get their money's worth on your river, when you're poaching out here at five o'clock in the morning, and cleaning out the pools before they arrive. you think your master would like to hear that two of his friends had caught you spoiling their sport? eh? I think the best thing the gentlemen can do is to give up fishing for the day, and call upon your master as soon as possible.' The keeper then informed Donald of his master's absence, of which our boatman was quite aware. "Well, then, I suppose the gentlemen may write and inform him; and mind you, I think they're likely ones to do it." Malcolm hoped we would overlook it, as he assured Donald that he was not aware we were coming. "Well," said Donald, "I'll try and pacify them, and perhaps they may look over the matter this time; but when we come back, mind we don't catch you again, that's all." We laughed heartily at the cool effrontery of Donald; and when we told him we thought he was a most impudent fellow, he said it was no use being a Highlandman if he could not trick another of his own race. "And if I hadn't managed that business, sir," said he," I should have considered mysel' but a very small par." Donald was sorry that we could not understand the Gaelic, as the affair would have amused us far more. It was good enough, however, after its loss by interpretation, to make me laugh two years ago, as I travelled through the magnificent "Pass of Awe," and recognized the shepherd's cottage, the streams in which we killed the sea trout, and the very spot on which the Gaelic controversy took place.

Three weeks after my second arrival at Port Sonachan, we bade adieu to our obliging host and hostess, and Mr. C——, who not long afterwards made a very sudden and unexpected departure. Engaging a man to row him up the loch, he started at night, accompanied by his fiftypound pointer, and taking a few clothes with him, was next heard of in America. It was with feelings of regret that I turned my back upon the lovely lake, which at early dawn was lying placid as a mirror, its surface occasionally broken by a rising trout or a salmon, while here and there a solitary heron stood patient and motionless, in prosecution of the angler's craft. We had risen betimes to prosecute our homeward journey, while he still sought the lovely shores of peace and solitude. My friend was about to lay aside the pliant rod and whirring reel for the noisy gun, to leave the sandy bays and heather-clad promontories for the turnips and stubbles of the South, while I was to postpone my change of weapon till I should splash about the fens in pursuit of snipes. Farewell, ye bays, which have become hallowed spots in my memory! Farewell, lofty Ben Conachan, on whose forehead Phoebus has already shot his rays! Farewell, thou ruined Kilchurn! and perhaps farewell

for ever, Land of the mountain and the flood! I inwardly muttered as we shot across the loch, under the vigorous strokes of Donald and Sandy, who wished us "a good journey and every luck, and a safe return another year."

How strange is the power which mountain, flood, and cataract possess over our human feelings! How rocky nooks and shady dells lead our hearts captive, and entwine themselves as it were about us, till we view them as tried and familiar friends! Much of this power is lost in a flat and level country it is the mountains, and lakes, and islands that seem to speak to us, and make us love them. They are but inanimate creatures, but they are some of Nature's grandest productions; but even Nature stands in awe, and bows submissive to the One Great Cause of all things. The mountain which seems to frown upon us now, and, after the cloud has passed, to smile, as its face becomes radiant with the sun's dazzling splendour, proves the mighty pangs and travail which Nature from time to time has undergone at the omnipotent fiat of the One Supreme!

Anglers, of all men, perhaps, have opportunities of contemplation which, however, many never improve. The sportsman in any line, whether fox-hunter, deer-stalker, shooter, courser, or fisherman, withdraws from the busy haunts of man, and mingles with the productions of Nature; but the study of times and seasons, temperature of weather and water, effects of electricity, added to a certain knowledge of the various ephemera and aquatic insects, must surely raise the mind of the angler to an adoration of the Great Unseen agent, whom the sceptic, either from pride or folly pretends, to deny. The ill-used, ill-tempered, ponderous lexicographer, who gave such a contemptuous definition of an angler, despised the country and preferred the busy mart of London, never gave himself the opportunity of knowing what angling was in reality with an artificial fly" at one end" and no "fool at the other." Had he seen the furious rush of the salmon, or rather had he felt it, had he deigned to learn to catch the wily trout, he might have been induced to soften his language. It is a pity that such an undoubted genius, as the author of "Rasselas" and the "Rambler," should have rambled so far away from his reckoning. The clever and sarcastic Pope, whose essays and satires I much admire, informs us that

"The proper study of mankind is man."

With this assertion, I quite agree, if we can find a man who has not been so mauled and contorted by the world's god, Fashion, as to be unable to act or think for himself, with nothing manly to be found in his dissipated mind or withered body; but unless this be the case, I would rather dissect a trout, to see on what he has been feeding, or open a salmon to find nothing. I am rambling away, however, and shall never get my readers home at this pace; so I must inform them, that after taking my leave of "the Bishop" on the Quay, amidst all the fog, smoke, and activity of Glasgow, I started by rail for Edinburgh, where I remained a week, at the expiration of which I started for North Berwick, to see a friend, who was, I found, absent from home, and I therefore proceeded southwards to Newcastle-on-Tyne. Here, thanks to the chambermaid of the Turf Hotel, I got a wet (not damp) pair of sheets, which gave me rheumatism for three weeks afterwards.

Next day I was off to Durham, where, on the following day (being Sunday), I went to the Cathedral, and next morning took coach to Darlington, whence the train conveyed me to Derby. I say me, because after a few miles' travel my canine companion Rodney chose to jump out of an open horse-box in which he had been placed, and after rolling over once or twice, as I was informed by a gentleman in an adjoining carriage, who had witnessed the exploit, he ran away across the fields as hard as he could go. I never heard anything more of my ratcatching fool, who according to custom ran away from the whistle-blown, this time, not by his master, but by the departing engine.

From Derby I again proceeded to Bakewell, and had ten days' excellent sport with the grayling (September being the prime month); but fishing alone was tame work now, and being bereft of all my friends, from "the Bishop" and Charley (who has been now for years gradually ascending the ladder of forensic fame); down to the wire-haired Rodney, I packed up my traps, and started for the smoky "modern Babylon" with its dens of vice and many conveyances, one of which latter, in the form of a "Patent Safety," conveyed me to an hotel, where I slept soundly; and after the usual London breakfast of dry toast and a very questionable egg (contrasting strongly with what I had been accustomed to, in the land of breakfasts), I started per coach for Dover, which I reached after a tedious journey.

Here I stayed about ten days, spending my time in the usual way. I bathed, talked to the coast-guard, went to the library, looked through the telescope at West Indiamen, read Scott's novels, and wished myself again in Scotland; after which I started for Cambridge, which I reached shortly after commencement of Term.

I saw

My rooms looked as comfortable as ever, but very large and lofty, and the old bed maker looked bigger in the "waist" than ever. The College cook supplied me with a true University supper, at which my old friend and "the Bishop" joined me. "Old and reverened seniors" will say this was an ill-spent vacation; but I do not agree with them. nature, and sport, and fun, and after some very hard reading with my door locked, admitting no strangers or friends, I saw myself a fullblown "Bachelor of Arts," and in three years afterwards my "rabbitskin" was changed to black and white, as the Vice-Chancellor dubbed me a "Master of Arts," with all the attendant privileges of conducting visitors to the Fitzwilliam museum and other places requiring the attendance of an A.M.'"

I shall not dwell upon the classics and mathematics which I studied in order to raise me to this important position, but I can assure my sporting readers that it was this "Long Vacation" tour which wedded me to Scotland, and has ever since made me more or less

"A WANDERER."