SALMON ANGLING IN IRELAND. 219 



and the hostess, all waiting for their common breakfast a few stone 

 of potatoes which were successfully progressing under the super- 

 intendence of a very pretty girl, daughter to the said hostess. The 

 state room was placed on the left of the common apartment, and, in 

 the opinion of the good people of this primitive district, was fur- 

 nished with every luxury man could desire. It contained a bed, 

 table, two chairs, and a three-legged stool, all admirably uniform in 

 colour bed, bedding, floor, chairs, and table, being of a dull choco- 

 late hue from the accumulated dirt of years. One would have 

 conceived from their appearance that water was as scarce and 

 valuable a commodity in this locality, as in the great desert of 

 Sahara. It seemed' impossible to remain, and I hinted as much 

 to Willie, who, with a cool unconcerned air, desperately provoking at 

 such a time, was trying to look through the dirty windows. 



"Lave it to me, sir," was his reply. "When you and Pat come 

 back from taking a walk up the river, see if breakfast an't ready and 

 iverything snug and comfortable." 



With all reliance on the speaker's versatile genius, I had little hope 

 of his being able to fulfil his promise. 



The little river was in a terrible taking from the rain foaming, 

 fretting, chafing, and leaping over rocks and stones, hurling along 

 huge fragments of turf, and behaving altogether in a very turbulent 

 and headstrong manner. It was, moreover, nearly as black as ink, and 

 had I been put on my oath I should with a quiet conscience have 

 sworn it would be impracticable for the next two days. Pat was, 

 however, of a different opinion, and employed himself as we walked 

 along in setting up various hydrometers of a primitive construction, 

 consisting of a series of twigs placed in the sand at the edge of the 

 stream. 



As far as the eye could range not even a hut was in sight. Before 

 us the Morne Tomas mountains formed a glorious amphitheatre, and 

 from Carrig-a-Binniogh (the loftiest of the group) rose the stream 

 whose course we were following. Midway up its side the brook had 

 its source, was instantly joined by a hundred little rills, and soon in 

 considerable volume rushed down its sides with a voice of thunder 



