THE HIGHLANDS. 125 



hanging by a nail on the unmortared wall, she was unable to hook 

 her gown behind, but went at once to the side of the bed, from 

 which they had not yet risen, saying, ' Do help me to hook my 

 gown.' Mr. Wilson sat up in bed, and served her with the utmost 

 good-nature. In Glenorchy, his time was much occupied by fish- 

 ing, and distance was not considered an obstacle. He started one 

 morning at an early hour to fish in a loch which at that time 

 abounded in trout, in the Braes of Glenorchy, called Loch Toila. 

 Its nearest point was thirteen miles distant from his lodgings at 

 the schoolhouse. On reaching it, and unscrewing the butt-end of 

 his fishing-rod to get the top, he found he had it not. Nothing 

 daunted, he walked back, breakfasted, got his fishing-rod, made all 

 complete, and off again to Loch Toila. He could not resist fishing 

 on the river when a pool looked invitingly, but he went always on- 

 wards, reached the loch a second time, fished round it, and found 

 that the long summer day had come to an end. He set off for his 

 home again with his fishing-basket full, and confessing somewhat 

 to weariness. Passing near a farm-house whose inmates he knew 

 (for he had formed acquaintance with all), he went to get some 

 food. They were in bed, for it was eleven o'clock at night, and 

 after rousing them, the hostess hastened to supply him ; but he re- 

 quested her to get him some whiskey and milk. She came with a 

 bottle-full, and a can of milk with a tumbler. Instead of a tum- 

 bler, he requested a bowl, and poured the half of the whiskey in, 

 along with half the milk. He drank the mixture at a draught, and 

 while his kind hostess was looking on with amazement, he poured 

 the remainder of the whiskey and milk into the bowl, and drank 

 that also. He then proceeded homeward, performing a journey of 

 not less than seventy miles.* 



" On leaving the Glenorchy schoolhouse, they went to Glen 

 Etive. On their way along the banks of Loch Etive, and near the 

 mouth of the river Conglas, they came to a shepherd's house, where 

 they intended to wait for a few days to fish. The shepherd was 

 servant to Mr. Campbell of Achlian. Wilson had a note to him 

 from his master. The morning had been fine, but, as often happens 

 in this climate, it had become very wet towards evening. As the 

 pedestrians reached the cottage drenched, on knocking at the door, 



* This adventure is told, with a slight variation, by the Professor himself in his " Anglimania." 

 — Wilson's Works. 



