26 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SALMON FISHING. 



less, "and the flies make strange streaks, albeit skilfully 

 thrown, on the mirror-like surface of the water," as that 

 most capital penman, " the organist," has described it, 

 he plants his sketching stool in some shady nook, and, 

 armed at all points with the necessary implements, 

 imagines that he transmits to his canvas a vivid im- 

 pression of what he sees before him. 



Well skilled to select his subjects, he does not take 

 a general view of the broad expanse, but gets a glimpse 

 of the lake between the bolls of the trees opposed to it 

 in shadow. Proud of his ultra marine, he touches in 

 the distant mountain, and the rugged brae nearer the 

 fore-ground he paints rich and sunny ; nor does he 

 forget those accessories that give interest and character 

 to the scene, — the smoke issuing from the cottage lying 

 in some shady nook, the boat hauled up on the gravelly 

 beach, or the cattle that stand listless on some point of 

 land that juts into the lake. Perhaps, too, some shep- 

 herd lies sleeping with his flock around him in a 

 sequestered glade. Thus he paints the images of rural 

 life ; and who happier than himself, when he retires to 

 the clean little inn, and selects the trout for his dinner, 

 giving a cut behind the dorsal fin to descry those of 

 the reddest tint ? Self-complacent are his regards 

 when he eyes his ample capture, — beaming are his looks 

 when he contemplates his coloured canvas. It is with 

 pain we take leave of the happy man: we would 

 willingly write his memoirs, but we have a higher duty 

 to perform. We are about to sing of Harry Otter, 

 even of ourselves, doing battle with the lusty Salmon 

 as we ride on the waves of the Tweed in our little 



