PROPER CAUTIONS. 131 



passage out of them when } r ou are on dry land ; not 

 because the fluid is annoying, for we should wrong you 

 to say so, but to prevent the pumping noise you would 

 otherwise make at every step. If you are not much of 

 a triton, you may use fishermen's boots, and keep your- 

 self dry : it is all a matter of taste. When you are 

 wading through the rapids, step on quickly and boldly, 

 and do not gaze down on the stream after the fashion of 

 Narcissus ; for running waves will not reflect your 

 beauty, but only make your head giddy. If you stop 

 for a moment, place your legs abreast of each other : 

 should you fancy a straddle, with one of them in ad- 

 vance, the action of the water will operate upon both 

 trip you up, and carry you out to sea. Observe, I am 

 talking of a heavy stream. The body of a man, who pro- 

 bably lost his life in this manner, was found low down 

 the river when I was fishing. I asked John Haliburton, 

 who was then nry fisherman,where it came from. "I sup- 

 pose," said he, " it travelled all the way from Peebles."* 

 Avoid standing upon rocking stones, for obvious rea- 

 sons ; and never go into the water deeper than the fifth 

 button of your waistcoat : even this does not always 

 agree with tender constitutions in frosty weather. As 

 you are likely not to take a just estimate of the cold in 

 the excitement of the sport, should you be of a delicate 

 temperament, and be wading in the month of February, 

 when it may chance to freeze very hard, pull down your 

 stockings, and examine your legs. Should they be black, 

 or even purple, it might, perhaps, be as w r ell to get on 

 dry land ; but if they are only rubicund, you may con- 



* Peebles was about twenty-five miles fr;m the spot in question. 



