EEMINISCENCES OF THE LEWS. Ill 



tunately, there was no necessity for any coro- 

 ner's inquests. They did say I drowned one old 

 woman, cart and all ; but, fortunately for me, 

 as I was able to prove that the poor creature 

 came to her untimely end ten miles from my 

 scene of action, on the high road to Stornoway, 

 by her cart going off the road into a burn in a 

 state of flood and falling on her, I escaped all 

 suspicion, even of womanslaughter, better than 

 R. M. did the red horse misdemeanour. If I 

 did not make the river what I wanted, I suc- 

 ceeded well with Loch Valtos, for it held a 

 great many fish ; and when I first arrived they 

 rose well, and we used to have some very good 

 sport in it. But one thing I never could 

 account for. As the salmon increased the sea- 

 trout decreased, and from being a very good 

 loch for them, it became most indifferent ; they 

 decreased both in quality and size. Can any 

 of the wise account for this ? 



There were very large fish in the Laxay, and 

 it was a very early river ; but I never got a 

 dozen spring fish in it during the years I held 

 it. I believe the fish began running in De- 

 cember and stopped in March, or before, just 

 as they used to do in Killarney; nor did I 

 ever, except in one or two instances, get in it 

 very large fish, though I have killed kelts in 



