EEMINISOENCES OF THE LEWS. 43 



topple over ; and no wonder, as her seams had 

 been opened by the sun. Fortunately, she 

 chose the immediate vicinity of a little island 

 for this exploit, so my gillie and T scrambled 

 on to it, none the worse, and not even wetting 

 our luncheon, which we discussed on it, and 

 then sorted our boat, which held water better 

 after submersion. I was returning home, when 

 I lost my prospect (Scotch name for telescope) 

 — without which I never stirred — out of its 

 case. I retraced my steps, but it was past our 

 finding. I was sore vexed, for it had been 

 my father's, and was knocked out of his hand 

 at ^the Battle of Eylau by the bursting of a 

 shell, which killed his horse, but did no further 

 damage to him than a slight scratch on the 

 nose. I tried every means of recovering it in 

 vain. At last it was found, nearly two years 

 after, by one of Burnaby's sappers — strange 

 to say, none the worse after cleaning, though 

 it had been out in the open, caseless, for two 

 winters ; and I have it still, and a very good 

 clear glass it remains. 



When in these diggings I learnt, or rather 

 perfected, a lesson on dogs and their ways, 

 that I had studied a good deal before ; and I 

 shall say a little about that lesson here, more 

 particularly as public attention has lately been 



