AND ANGLING SONGS. 37 



the result of drenching torrents of rain which had fallen during 

 the night, of hooking and playing to shore a beautiful grilse of 

 seven pounds in weight. It required some management to over- 

 power him, as he led me a dance over rocks and perilous banks 

 for more than a quarter of a mile before he gave in. I also 

 added a dozen or so of sea-trout to the contents of my creel. 



From Rhiconich, next day, I proceeded towards Durine of 

 Duirness, in a spring-cart belonging to Mr. Mackay. On reach- 

 ing the Dionard or Grudie river, then in a highly flooded state 

 (the rains, since I left Loch Inver, had been of daily occurrence), 

 I alighted, and despatching the conveyance with my luggage 

 in advance, fished leisurely over some inviting stretches of the 

 river without success. At length I captured a fine sea-trout, 

 and shortly afterwards another, each weighing upwards of two 

 pounds. On reaching the stream which headed the cruive-dyke 

 pool, and throwing my persuader over a sunken rock that caught 

 my eye, I got hold at last of a splendid salmon, which, after a 

 run of ten minutes, submitted to its fate. Three sea-trout, in 

 addition to what I had already taken, completed my spoils, 

 which I had some difficulty in carrying to Duirness, in the 

 midst of a terrific storm of wind and rain. 



On the following day I proceeded, crossing Huclim Ferry, to 

 the river Hope, to which I gave a brief but satisfactory trial 

 killing, along with a couple of whitlings, a fair specimen of the 

 Salmo eriox, or bull-trout, a species of the salmonidce not often 

 found in the northern rivers of Scotland. It was past midnight 

 before I arrived, along with my luggage (to convey which I had 

 some difficulty, after crossing Loch Eribol, in procuring the ser- 

 vices of a girl and cart ; a man or boy was not to be had) at 

 Tongue Ferry, the landing-place at the west side of which lay 

 at a considerable distance from where the ferrymen dwelt. 

 Left in the lurch by my fair conductress, who I saw had not 

 calculated on arriving with my traps at so untimely an hour, 



