CRAB-CATCHING. 357 



But we soon perceived two men in a small craft, who 

 seemed quite unconscious that 



" The flaming chariot of the world's great eye" 



was now almost upon them. Their little boat hung 

 motionless on the then waveless mirror of the Bay, in 

 about ten feet depth of water; and after for a minute or 

 thereby holding their faces close upon the surface, they 

 seemed suddenly to pull a long pole out of the water, with 

 something adhering to its extremity. We soon found 

 that they were taking advantage of the glassy stillness of 

 the water to overlook the early walk of crabs. They no 

 sooner saw these crusty crustaceans on the subaqueous 

 sand, than they poked them behind with their long staves 

 — the crabs turned round to revenge the indignity, and, 

 like Russian gens-d'armes, seized upon the unsuspecting 

 poles. These latter were slightly shaken by the fishermen, 

 as if in pain or terror ; the angry creatures clung all the 

 closer, and were then rapidly hoisted into the boat. The 

 moral we drew at the time, and have since maintained, 

 was, iii.it neither crab nor Christian should ever lose his 

 temper.* — Voyage round Scotland. 



* This crusty spectacle was probably witnessed on the morning ao 

 beautifully described at page 109. — Ed. 



