50 Ahoid Several Men ivlio icent a'Angling, 



trim — in other words, were in great mii'th, — though not 

 intoxicated, by any means. Around them were many 

 bottles. On the table was a jack, or " jackikin," of about 

 seven or eight ounces in weight, and I was requested to act 

 as coroner whilst they held an inquest over the deceased ; 

 which office I readily accepted, and a verdict was returned 

 of " found drowned," which verdict was duly wetted by the 

 gentlemen of the jury. 



The way they chafied one of their companions, who had 

 induced them to come a-fishing, was a caution ; but as we 

 fell into discourse (again quotmg Mr. Pepys), I told them 

 that if they really wanted to learn anything about fishing, 

 a Thames fisherman, for a sovereign, would give them 

 enough preliminary instruction to enable them to follow 

 out the art themselves ; and they concluded, as a Yankee 

 would say, to go somewhere where they could be well posted 

 up in the gentle art. 



And here let me digress for a moment, and say a word 

 to young England, if he wants to learn fishing. The genial 

 spirit of Izaak Walton, who taught his '' scholar " all the 

 rudiments of fishing, has descended on his disciples ; and 

 there is not a fisherman in England worth his salt who is 

 not always ready and willing to communicate the mysteries 

 of the gentle art to a tjvo. 



Now for No. 4 — the morose man who landed the 15- 

 pounder. With the aid of the landlord we soon found out 

 his value. He was a pot-hunter, belonging to one or two 

 fishing clubs, and fishing for prizes. His game was, to get 

 information about the water, and as to when and where a 

 good fish was on the feed, and to drop down with tackle 

 ^^hich would tow a barge, and with two rods out, and any 

 amount of live bait, and to go " ledgering." We heard quite 

 enough about No. 4's sport, and he swaggered and blustered 

 about it when he came in, and wrote oflf to the S2')orting 



