SALMON ANGLING IN IfiELAND. 13 



tune. *' Maybe, sir," was his cautious answer, in the most doleful of 

 voices ; " it can't be worse than where we came from." 



The spot thus described was a splendid stream, ending in a pool, 

 which, after dozing awhile, suddenly woke up, and, ashamed of being 

 caught napping, hurried on its way with redoubled speed. 



Presently there was a deep sluggish boil under the fly ; we will 

 rest him and cast below. There was another, and another. All our 

 gfi-oanings and grumblings were forgotten. " Change the fly, Willie ; 

 we will try it down again ;" and so we did, but only landed two old 

 fish. 



There were better things in store for us, as, before we left the 

 water, three beautiful spring salmon were killed, one spawner landed, 

 and I know not how many foul fish ; these last keeping us through 

 the day in a state of perpetual excitement. I thought of Mr. Bay's 

 parting words, ' Mind what Tm telling ye, your honour ; they'll 

 have the nice time entirely in county Cork." 



The following day was much like the one which preceded it, quite 

 as pleasant and nearly as busy. Unused, in a general way, to covet 

 my neighbour's goods, I certainly then and there longed for the 

 exclusive right of three or four miles of the Blackwater, somewhere 

 about midway between Lismore and Fermoy. 



We are now, as the reader knows, in the county of Cork. If he 

 had read the following passage before his visit he would have 

 believed he had gone somewhere else by mistake. Vast tracts of 

 land are still unreclaimed perhaps never can be reclaimed yet the 

 improvement of the last quarter of a century is marvellous indeed. 

 "Prior to the year 1829 a great part of the north-west district of 

 the county was almost inaccessible. This district, foi-med of a tract 

 of 970 square miles, is comprised between the Shannon and the 

 Blackwater, and up to the year 1822 contained no road passable for 

 horsemen in wet weather. The entire district must have remained 

 neglected by the hand of civilisation from the period at which its 

 ancient proprietors, the later earls of Desmond, had been dispossessed 

 of it in the reign of Elizabeth. The whole district contained but 

 two resident landed proprietors, whpe houses were distant thirty: 



