AND ANGLING SONGS. 59 



thrown open, and the landlord, a manly-looking Speysider, 

 invited me to enter, tendering at the same time many and 

 fervent apologies for his singular conduct. The whole secret 

 lay in this,' that he was apprehensive of a visit from the excise- 

 man, having just received a supply of ungauged whisky from 

 some recess in the wilds of Badenoch, and being engaged at the 

 same time in an experiment upon malt, the'^probable success of 

 which I judged of, not greatly to its advantage, on partaking of 

 the proceeds of a former browst. My sleeping apartment just 

 having been made use of as the theatre of barley fermentation, 

 it could hardly be expected that I should escape being subjected 

 at night to a similar process. Before committing myself, how- 

 ever, to the influences which pervaded its atmosphere, I put the 

 Spey under contribution, educing from its streams, which the 

 recent thunder-shower had slightly discoloured, a very satisfac- 

 tory dish of trout. 



Next morning, on leaving the village of Laggan, I fished up 

 the Spey towards its sources. I am induced to think, from what 

 I recollect of it, that had I been provided with worm, and 

 initiated, in these days, in the proper method of fishing with this 

 lure, I could have taken, in a short space of time, as many trout 

 as one would care to carry, under a broiling sun, such as I was 

 favoured with on that occasion. As it was, I met with very 

 indifferent success, and after persevering for two or three hours, 

 took down my rod, and commenced the ascent of Corryarick, by 

 the old military road leading to Fort Augustus ; it being my 

 intention to proceed along the banks of Loch Ness to Inverness, 

 and thence to pass, by way of Kessock Ferry, into Ross-shire. 

 As a carriage approach to the great Glen of Albyn, this road 

 has been disused for a number of years. It was in a state of 

 disrepair in 1835, and by this time probably a large portion of 

 it has been converted into a series of water- courses, which the 

 pedestrian will have some difficulty, even during summer, in 

 picking his steps across. 



