48 Salmon Fishing. 



the gloomy forebodings of the previous night, 

 to the sense of enjoyment which impressed me, 

 when I left the cabin, and stepped upon the 

 deck for the first time in the morning, was quite 

 marvellous. There was a moderate breeze that 

 filled the steamer's sails, and crisped and curled 

 the surface of the water, upon which innumer- 

 able vessels of every size and rig were dancing 

 merrily along. We had progressed some dis- 

 tance beyond the mouth of the Thames, and I 

 was charmed to find that, instead of being in 

 a tub of a boat, that every craft we came across 

 could easily catch and beat, we were able, not 

 only to hold our own, but to run by many a 

 bigger ship than ours. 



Hungry and thirsty I descended into the 

 cabin, as soon as breakfast was announced ; but 

 of the many strange spectacles I have witnessed 

 in a tolerably long experience, the table with 

 the contents stretched upon it, struck me as one 

 of the strangest. Accustomed to what may be 

 called a frugal repast, the sight and smell of the 



