164 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SALMON FISHING 



was exactly the sort of thing to suit me ; so I 

 proposed to my fisherman, Charles Purdie, to go 

 down the flood to Perth, a distance of about twelve 

 miles by water. We did so ; and I here insert the 

 particulars of our voyage, as they may serve to 

 give an idea of a Scottish spate. 



We were standing at the foot of the sloping lawn 

 before my house ; and as Charlie Purdie bent his 

 regards on the frightful violence of the flood, I 

 thought he did not half like to embark on it. In 

 fact, he did not only disapprove of the general con- 

 duct of the river, but also of the peculiar rocky nature 

 of the channel in which it was its pleasure to gallop 

 along to the ocean. Moreover, he knew there was 

 an obstruction in the river at a place called the 

 Linn of Campsie, about four miles below the pro- 

 posed starting-place, where at the arrival of his little 

 boat he did not anticipate much pleasure. In fact, 

 neither Charlie nor his master conceived it would 

 be possible to pass the falls into the Linn, since no 

 boat could do so in the ordinary state of the water 

 without being upset, or dashed to shivers. They 

 would see how things looked, however, on their 

 arrival at the spot, and act accordingly. 



" Now then, loosen my boat, Charlie : I will 

 go first ; and take care you do not run foul 

 of me." 



The boats being unmoored, we shot down the river 

 in a moment, and were soon at the end of the park, 

 where the Isla conies into the Tay. This additional 

 volume of water increased our velocity ; we guided 

 our boats into the main currents, and away we 



