170 THE MOOES AND THE MOUNTAINS. 



sequences may be supposed. They crept towards the 

 spot, and the divers, less wary than usual, or at least less 

 careful of themselves, from the strength of their parental 

 affection, after swimming up the loch followed by one of 

 the young ones, returned again in search of the other, and 

 coming within range of the marksmen, were both shot 

 dead, along with their little helpless child. I was at this 

 time fishing at some distance, but when I came towards 

 the island I found the gorgeous creatures which I had so 

 lately seen so full of life and vigour, extended cold and 

 stiff upon the shore. They are as large as geese, and are 

 scarcely ever found in this country, except during severe 

 winters. Their breeding places were previously unknown. 

 That same day we discovered also two pair of widgeons, a 

 bird, the summer haunts of which had not been ascer- 

 tained. I killed fifteen very fine trouts, many of them 

 two pounds weight, and several above it. As eating fish, 

 they surpass any fresh-water fish, except salmon, with 

 which I am acquainted, and they enable us to fare 

 sumptuously every day. We have lamb, good soup or 

 broth, and roasted fowls, — the latter, however, evidently 

 made of Indian rubber. We find our boat answer ex- 

 cellently ; we took it up to Loch Craggie in a cart, and. 

 brought it down again in the evening without any 

 trouble." 



