18 TOUR IN SUTHERLANDSHIKE. 



The mountains of Coirgach and Assynt, some of which I 

 could see from Loch Urigil, are of a very striking and peculiar 

 form, standing out boldly and independently from the lower 

 hills that surrounded them. Occasionally a curlew would 

 coine win-cling over my head, uttering its loud cry of alarm 

 and warning, something between a whistle and a scream ; 

 but he soon sailed back to his mate on the sloping moss that 

 covered the hill-side near the lake. A beautiful cock grouse 

 came down within a few yards of me, and picked about 

 amongst the stones at the edge of the water, occasionally 

 stopping us if to exhibit himself as he stood erect with his 

 bright-red comb raised to its utmost height. When at last 

 he saw me, instead of seeming alarmed, he rose and alighted 

 again on a small hillock only a few feet further off, and stood 

 there some; minutes watching me closely, and then flew off, 

 crowing a short distance up the heather. The grey geese 

 seemed in constant motion, sometimes feeding and sometimes 

 flying al'tc r < ach other in pairs with loud cries. 



"After waiting some time about the edge of the loch, I re- 

 joined my companions, and we again renewed our portage of 

 the boat over that weary hill. I had left a line with several 

 hooks baited with small trout in the lake near the inn, and 

 on returning found a salmo ferox which weighed something 

 above two pounds on it. While taking in the line, a monster 

 trout ran at the fish already caught, and, notwithstanding its 

 si/e, nearly swallowed it, leaving the marks of his teeth in 

 the shape of deep cuts across the middle of the two-pound 

 trout. I should like to have seen the fish at closer quarters 

 who made an attack on such a goodly-sized bait, as he must 

 have been a perfect fresh-water shark. There can be no 

 doubt that in some of these lakes, where the water is deep 

 and the food plentiful, these trout must grow to a size not 

 yet ascertained. None of these lakes have ever been properly 

 fished. A few days' trolling can never be depended on as a 

 proof of the size of the fish in them, more particularly as we 

 all know that the larger a trout is, the less inclined is he to 

 take any bait. I will leave it for others to judge of the size 

 of a trout that could nearly swallow one of his own species 

 weighing considerably above two pounds. 



I )ui ing our drive to Inchnadamph in the afternoon we had 

 a fine view of Benmore of Assynt, and numerous other 

 magnificent mountains, grey and dreary, and with but little 

 vegetation of any kind, although along the edges of the lakes 



