90 ANGLING & ART IN SCOTLAND 



the North, with its superstitions and old-world 

 sagas. 



Sturdy old Kingsley made a great fuss about 

 the east wind — and there is a tonic in that ode of 

 his to the north-easter — but is not the north or 

 north-wesi wind preferable? I am not speaking 

 from a fisherman's point of view, but in a general 

 way, as well in town as in country ; without being 

 endowed with the shrivelling quality of the east 

 wind, there is a " snell " bite in it — it blows away 

 fogs and ill-humour and makes a man feel brisk : 



"A livelier emerald twinkles in the grass, 

 A purer sapphire melts into the sea." 



I Still have a lurking sympathy with the school- 

 boy who would spend a spare evening at Euston 

 station watching the night expresses depart for the 

 North, and envy the ulster-clad sportsmen with 

 their long rod-boxes, whose labels he read with 

 longing gaze : Forsinard, Helmsdale, Ballater, or 

 even perhaps the farthest extremity, Thurso ! How 

 in the spirit I journeyed with those rod-boxes 

 northward through the night! little thinking that 

 it might ever become a common occurrence to 

 make that journey in the flesh. Common, in its 



