THE SPORTSMAN IN FRANCE. 283 



was exceedingly disgusted at the occurrence, 

 and betook himself to trout-fishing, in 

 which, it is but fair to add, he succeeded 

 passing well. 



It was my lot to hook the next fish, but 

 lost him, to my infinite discomfiture, to- 

 gether with my foot-length, and some two 

 or three yards of line. We were all 

 doomed to a similar disappointment, 

 barring always the major, who killed ^yq 

 fish, Mr. Hamilton two, and myself one, 

 at the close of the evening. 



Our want of success I must attribute, 

 independently of our inferiority to the 

 major in point of skill, to the circum- 

 stance of our lines being too bright for 

 the water. I have before stated, that the 

 river was of a dark colour : this arises I 

 should conceive from the substratum 

 being mixed with ferruginous ore. The 

 major, with his habitual observation and 

 forethought, had remedied this objection 



