330 NETHER LOCHABER. 



numbers with rod and line ; and irrespective of their value as an 

 article of food, the pastime is by no means contemptible even as a 

 matter of sport, though, sooth to say, many people live within 

 sight of the sea for years, and know little or nothing of the amuse- 

 ment that may be had so readily and cheaply in this way. Those 

 caught at present are principally whitings, lythes, and seths, or 

 coal-fish, with an occasional sea-bream. This last is reckoned a 

 somewhat coarse fish, but it is by no means bad eating when 

 properly cooked and served, and you recollect as you eat that the 

 price of mutton is something like a shilling the pound, and 

 frequently not to be had even at that. 



More prone, perhaps, to superstition in every form than their 

 more inland brethren, our maritime population have quite a 

 number of freits, forms, fancies, and superstitious observances, 

 most of them only silly and harmless enough, in connection with 

 all their sea-fishing adventures, whether with rod, net, or line. 

 A few evenings ago, as a party of four, douce and decent men 

 enough, were preparing to launch their boat to go a-fishing, we 

 chanced to pass along the beach, joining them, as has long been 

 our habit in such circumstances, for a few minutes' conversa- 

 tion. Suddenly, as we were speaking, a large black-backed gull 

 (Larus marimis) wheeled towards us out of a flock that were 

 lazily circling about at a considerable distance seawards. Eight 

 towards us, as if on some express and special errand, came the 

 gull, one of the largest and most beautiful of sea-birds, until he 

 was within less than fifty yards of us, when by a change of poise, 

 and a scarcely perceptible movement of wing, he slowly swept 

 round our heads, screaming the while as only a black-backed gull 

 can scream a wild and eerie note that may be heard for a league. 

 The gull's business, whatever it might be, was so manifestly 

 connected with one or all of us, or with the boat, perhaps, round 

 which we were standing on the beach, that it could not but attract 



