298 THE FALLS OF BALLYSHANNON. 



4< We swam together up the stream for some miles, 

 running the gauntlet of about twenty of those villanous 

 contrivances, stake-nets, and dodging in and out be- 

 tween them to escape from one of our old enemies, a 

 seal, who was on the look-out for all comers, and was 

 swimming round the chambers of the nets, faisant Veau 

 dans la bouche at some younger brothers of mine, 

 caught in them, who were not up to trap. 



" We lay by for Sunday, when the Duke must open 

 his traps in the Lixmore-weir, and that night got safe 

 through. 



" All these dangers past, we remained tolerably safe 

 for some weeks in a well-known hole under Ballyma- 

 catchem, prudently abstaining from several nice-looking 

 flies, and also from a minnow, suffering apparently 

 from vertigo. My spouse was ' expecting' about the end 

 of the next month, and, as she was growing ' heavy,' 

 wished to get over the mill-weirs while able to jump. 

 These we cleared during floods, spite of some scheming 

 miller's men with their gaffs, and at last arrived at our 

 native bed of gravel on the night of the 30th of October. 

 I set to work at once to root up a trench with my snout. 

 Suddenly a light shone from the bank, and, alas! 

 before I could warn my poor partner of the danger, I 

 heard the horrid splash, and an atrocious Celt had 

 transfixed her with his spear. 



" Not a single Salmo salar of the feminine gender 

 has yet come up to these parts. Oh, that my too, too 

 solid flesh, could melt ! What is to be done ? I fear 

 they have all eloped with the rising generation to New- 

 foundland. 



" What has become of all the good old laws for our 



