SCALBY BECK 117 



fish no more. I have gone into these details be- 

 cause I really think it is improper that a club 

 composed, I have no doubt, of gentlemen should 

 demand 5^. for a day's walk such as I have at- 

 tempted faithfully to describe. I can only regard 

 it as an unwarrantable imposition. One wonders 

 for what purpose such a club exists. It does abso- 

 lutely nothing to keep the river in decent order, 

 and I venture to think that if any member of it 

 ever attempts to follow in my footsteps through 

 that pathless jungle it could only be in expiation 

 of, and as a terrible penance for, sins of omission 

 as well as commission as regards this wretched 

 ditch. I presume it is considered to be a perfectly 

 useless extravagance to put a keeper to watch on 

 that hideous beck ; he would surely soon commit 

 suicide. At all events, I never saw a human being 

 from one end to the other. I could certainly have 

 performed the deeds I did with perfect impunity, 

 and without paying $s. for a ticket. It may be that 

 at certain times and seasons this beck, which, it 

 appears, is nothing but an outlet for the overflow of 

 the Derwent in times of flood, may afford sport for 

 anglers, and probably there are big trout in it, as 

 the ticket agent told me, but my experience may 

 serve as a caution to other anglers to be careful 

 how and when they lay out their money if they ex- 

 pect to do better than I did. The game is certainly 

 not worth the candle. We walked along the turn- 

 pike road till, weary, exhausted, and exasperated, 

 we found welcome at an inn. There I gave my 



