HOME-SICKNESS. 185 



fault, for everything has been pleasant in itself and pro- 

 sperous. But you know I left home without exactly feeling 

 satisfied that I ought to have done so. I had no desire 

 to go, and none of that buoyant anticipation of enjoyment 

 which, in glorious youth, is wont to attend as the fore- 

 runner of such excursions. Some sensations of mental dis- 

 comfort have accompanied me all along, with a conscious- 

 ness, as it were, that I am acting selfishly in making the 

 journey, when the money might have been better spent 

 in ministering to your enjoyments at home. But I hope, 

 by some degree of diligence and activity, to make amends 

 on my return. Alas ! what a sad reckoning is uow against 

 me for indolence, idleness, and mis-spent time. I know, 

 however, that if I had given up this expedition, it would 

 have vexed you, and although my doing so would have 

 been no disappointment to myself, it might yet have 

 affected or interfered with the arrangements of others. 

 But I hope not to be so long from home again for many 



a day I fear, however, that I" am »ot telling you 



much of what we have been doing here. In fact, owing 

 to the broken weather, we have not been doing very much 

 for some clays. Yesterday morning, Colonel Oswald, who 

 has the salmon fishing on the Inver this year, breakfasted 

 with us, on his way to Laxford. We afterwards fished a 

 mountain loch, where we found the fish very fat, and of 

 delicious flavour. We found their interior crammed full 



