EEMINISCENdES OF THE LEWS. 113 



for a wild, amphibious animal like myself, half 

 otter, half colley, never happy but when dabbling 

 about something, weather permitting — very fond 

 of his dogs, and delighted in exploring lochs in 

 little cobles, of which I had a fleet, and with 

 no one to interfere with me. Let me now con- 

 clude this long yarn with a bit of practical 

 advice to the large community of letters and 

 renters of shootings and fishings. 



There is a custom prevalent in some parts of 

 Scotland better honoured in the breach than in 

 the observance. I allude to the custom of 

 some proprietors reserving in their lettings of 

 rivers a right of sending — sometimes one day 

 in the week, sometimes oftener — their own 

 friends to fish on rivers so let. Now, I do not 

 think a more unwise or, without the slightest 

 wish to use hard terms, a more unfair thing 

 can be done. You say it is one of the condi- 

 tions of the letting ; but, let me ask, when you 

 let a shooting, do you retain a right to send 

 your friends to shoot over the ground you let ? 

 or would any one in his senses take a moor or 

 a forest on such terms ? Why, then, am I to be 

 expected to pay a high rate for a river, pre- 

 serve it well, and, on the few salmon-fishing 

 days the year brings round, run the risk of 

 finding the proprietor's friends fishing my pet 



I 



