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mind is kept continually upon the stretch, by the 

 constant succession of delightful landscapes which 

 burst upon the eye from the numerous windings of 

 the river. When the tourist arrives at Douglas 

 burn, he may readily obtain a few fine trout out of 

 it, by means of worm, should he feel so disposed. 

 This small rivulet is a favourite haunt of the salmon 

 and salmon-trout in spawning time, and many hun- 

 dreds of them fall a prey to the spears and leisters 

 of the poachers at this season of the year. 



When the angler arrives at the vicinity of Altrive, 

 formerly the residence of the late James Hogg, the 

 poet, he must consider himself on classic ground. 

 Whether the fish be taking well or ill, he must lay 

 down his rod, look around him, and think of bygone 

 genius, and the mutability of human affairs. Here, 

 upon these very identical river banks, and in these 

 very streams before us, some of the most highly 

 gifted of men were wont to relax the severity of 

 their intellectual studies by the rational hilarity and 

 enjoyments of the rod. Should the tourist's personal 

 experience, like our own, carry him back for five-and- 

 thirty years, and should he have been so fortunate 

 as to have ever thrown a fly, for a few hours, with 

 Sir Walter Scott, Hogg, John Wilson, Sir William 

 Chantrey, and Sir Humphrey Davy, how serious 

 will be the train of his thoughts, and what a tender 

 melancholy will insensibly steal over his spirit ! 

 These most devoted and enthusiastic anglers, who 

 have filled the world with their fame, have all, alas ! 

 save one, quitted the stage of life, and he, it is much 



