MONSTRUM HORRENDUM 185 



curious to know by what particular tactics one can 

 contrive to get the better of such a large furious 

 monster, as he expressed it, with such apparently 

 inadequate means, when a small sea trout broke 

 him with all the ease imaginable. As I now reckoned 

 upon his attention, I told him, as follows how to 

 manage a large salmon, and how a large salmon 

 may manage us : 



' When you get hold of a mon strum horrendum 

 ingens of a fish, say of some five and forty pounds, 

 you must anticipate a very long and severe battle. 

 If, therefore, you have a disposable Gilly with you, 

 despatch him instantly for some skilful fisherman, as 

 well to assist you when you are exhausted with 

 fatigue, as to bring your dinner and supper ; not 

 forgetting a dark lantern, that you may not be 

 beaten by the shades of night a circumstance by 

 no means improbable. At the first onset you will 

 probably be obliged to keep your arms and rod aloft, 

 in order to steer clear of the rocks. This action, with 

 a heavy rod and large fish on your line, is very dis- 

 tressing, if continued even for a short time ; and it 

 will be necessary to repeat it often, if the channel is 

 not very favourable ; and in that case your muscles 

 will ache insupportably, if they at all resemble those 

 of other men. The easiest position, when it is safe 

 to use it, is to place the butt of your rod against the 

 stomach as a rest, and to bring the upper part of the 

 arm and the elbow in close contact with the sides, 

 putting on at the same time an air of determination. 



If your leviathan should be superlatively boister- 

 ous, no one knows what may happen. For instance, 



