A FIVE-POUNDEH. Ill 



six throws — a dozen : no better result. The fish were 

 stern and contemptuous. At length some favourable 

 change took place in the clouds, or atmosphere, and I 

 caught sundry small trout ; a,nd finally, in the cheek of 

 a boiler, I fairly hauled out a two-pounder. A jewel of 

 a fish he was — quite a treasure all over. After I had 

 performed the satisfactory office of bagging him, I 

 came to a part of the river which, being contracted, 

 rushed forward in a heap, rolling with great impetu- 

 osity. Here, after a little flogging, I hooked a lusty 

 fellow, strong as an elephant, and swift as a thunder- 

 bolt. How I was agitated say ye who best can tell , 

 ye fellow-tyros ! Every moment did I expect my trout 

 tackle, for such it was. to part company. At length, 

 after various runs of dubious result, the caitiff began 

 to yield; and at the expiration of about half-an-hour, 

 I wooed him to the shore. What a sight then struck 

 my optics ! A fair five-pounder at the least; not fisher- 

 man's weight, mark me, but such as would pass muster 

 with the most conscientious Lord Mayor of London 

 during the high price of bread. Long did I gaze on 

 him, not without self-applause. All too large he was 

 for my basket; I therefore laid the darling at full 

 length on the ground, under a birch tree, and covered 

 over the precious deposit with some wet bracken, that 

 it might not suffer from the sunbeam. 



I had not long completed this immortal achievement 

 ere I saw a native approaching, armed with a pro- 

 digious fishing-rod of simple construction, guiltless of 

 colour or varnish. He had a belt round his waist, to 

 which was fastened a large wooden reel or pirn, and the 

 line passed from it through the rings of his rod ; a sort 



