SIXTH DAY/] HOOKS. 155 



complain, that the Limerick hooks were too heavy 

 and clumsy. He preferred hooks made at Kendal in 

 Westmoreland. 



HAL. I saw, twenty years ago, hooks far too 

 heavy made at Limerick; but this O'Shaughnessy is, 

 I think, a better maker than his father was, and the 

 curve and the general form of the hook is improved. 

 It has now, I think, nearly the best form of a curve 

 for catching and holding, the point protruding a 

 little. The Kendal hook holds well, but is not so 

 readily fixed by the pull in the mouth of the fish. 

 The early Fellows of the Royal Society, who attended 

 to all the useful and common arts, even improved 

 fish hooks ; and Prince Rupert, an active member of 

 that illustrious body, taught the art of tempering 

 hooks to a person of the name of Kirby ; under 

 whose name, for more than a century, very good 

 hooks were sold. I shall take a walk towards the 

 lake to enjoy a view of its cloud-capped mountains, 

 and I hope to find, on my return, that you have all 

 had your satisfaction in a good day's salmon fishing. 



PUTS. We shall crimp and cool a salmon if we 

 catch a good one, for our dinner. 



HAL. Do so. 



ORN. But before you leave us, I wish you would 

 be good enough to inform us why the salmon here 

 are so different from those I have seen elsewhere : 



