TROUT AND ANGLING. 367 



go hard with the aged pensioner, whom we have 

 sometimes seen of a calm dark night engaged in 

 the picturesque process of eeling ; the boat gently 

 cleaving the smooth surface ; a bright fire kindled 

 in the bow ; his attenuated form standing erect in 

 the centre, and seen by the glare of light in strong 

 relief contrasted with the murky darkness around, 

 darting his spear at times into the lurid water ; then 

 like a trident brandishing it aloft, the very person- 

 ification of old Neptune himself. 



As a short digression from our subject, but con- 

 nected with eeling — an occupation so essential to 

 the poorer inhabitants, that the eel spear may be 

 called the staff of life — we have to state the cir- 

 cumstance as related to us, which happened in 

 these waters some fifty years ago, of an Indian 

 who one dark night was beset by a host of wild 

 geese. Attracted by the bright glare of the flam- 

 ing pine knots, they approached his boat in a dense 

 black mass, croaking most vehemently, rushing at 

 the fire, which they soon flapped out and scattered 

 with their wings. His only defence was his pad- 

 dle, and this he laid about him with such effect to 

 prevent the canoe from sinking by their numbers, 

 that on reaching the shore with great difficulty, 

 he found his cargo unexpectedly consisting of wild 

 geese instead of eels. 



Having now noticed the principal bays and 



