SALMON ANQLING IN IRELAND. 2^3 



work. It affords constant variety. Now an old grouse rises in a 

 terrible hurry ; yet, inveterate gi'umbler that he is, finds time to 

 complain of our invasion of his rights ; then a brown hare glides 

 through the heather ; next a snipe with shrill cry and wavering flight 

 rises before Ponto's nose, whilst a flock of golden plovers, with 

 plaintive note and rapid wing, flit past from time to time. From 

 each and all of these mountain races we had taken toll one day as 

 we traversed the heathy range to the westward of Lough Currane. 

 A change was at hand. Lower and lower drooped the clouds more 

 thick and fast fell the mist. The house at Derrynane close to its 

 solitary little harbour, where poor Dan O'Connell passed probably the 

 only peaceful days of his busy life, grew less and less distinct, and 

 finally vanished out of sight. The restless ocean lay under " the 

 blanket of the dark," but the drizzle did not extend to the south- 

 ward ; and the Cummeragh, its head waters, and the glorious range 

 of the Iveragh mountains spread out beneath us, gloomy yet clear. 

 For an hour or more we crouched under the lee of a boulder. No 

 change for the better occurred ; so, making the best of it, we trudged 

 home through the soaking drizzle. 



After prolonged fine weather rain comes on slowly. The follow- 

 ing morning, though dull, was dry. No man could predict with 

 certainty how the day would turn out, but the Major was an old 

 campaigner, and always kept an eye to his communications. The 

 commander's arrangements for the day were eminently judicious. If 

 calm, we were to shoot ; if breezy, fish ; and, as it was calm at 

 nine a.m., we collected dogs and guns, together with a couple of 

 bare-legged boys to carry the game, and started for the wide tract 

 of bog and heather which stretched from the head of Lough 

 Currane to the sources of the Cummeragh. We had scarcely reached 

 the ground when the character of the day showed itself un- 

 mistakably. The hurly-burly had commenced, and we were in for 

 a westerly gale. Anxiously the Major looked down to the road 

 from time to time as we shot our way towards it, for Willie had 

 been left behind to put the boat on a cart and bring her on, in the 

 event of the wind getting up. It was blowing great guns, and just 



