106 SALMONIA. 



were going to take your cast ; but the Laird 

 has desired us to stand in his shoes for a few 

 days, and has given up angling while we are 

 here ; and as we come nearly a thousand miles 

 for this amusement, we are sure you are too 

 much of a gentleman to spoil our sport ; and 

 we will take care to supply your fish kettle 

 while we are here, morning and evening, and 

 we shall send you, as we hope, a salmon be- 

 fore night." 



PoiET. — He grumbles good sport to us, 

 and is off with his tail : you have hit him in 

 the right place. He is a pot fisher, I am sure, 

 and somewhat hungry, and, provided he gets 

 the salmon, does not care who catches it ! 



Hal. — You are severe on the Highland 

 gentleman, and I think extremely unjust. No- 

 thing could be more ready than his assent, 

 and a keen fisherman must not be expected to 

 be in the best possible humour, when he finds 

 sport which he believes he has a right to, and 

 which perhaps he generally enjoys without 

 interruption, taken away from him by entire 

 strangers. There is, I know, a disputed point 

 about fishing with the rod, between him and 



