THE RIVER. 317 



he gained the shore, guided his fish into 

 the quiet, still pool above ; and in answer to 

 the Parson's congratulatory and farewell 

 wave of the hand as he pursued his course, 

 a fine white fourteen-pounder was held up 

 by the tail in triumph. 



It was late in the afternoon of the same 

 day when the Scholar, attended by Slievan, 

 was sitting on a reef of rocks on the right 

 bank of the river, which extended some 

 dozen yards or so into the lower end of a 

 deep round pool. Below where they were 

 sitting the river broke away into a series of 

 rapids, which extended farther than the eye 

 could reach; but above, it was as quiet and 

 still as a pond, and deep enough to float a line- 

 of- battle ship. The pool, which was nearly 

 round, and a quarter of a mile or so in dia- 

 meter, is called the Monk's Pool, and at the 

 upper end of it the Monk's Ford, or Ballagh 

 na Monach, might be traced, even at that 



from the Danish eel-weir, and this is perfectly acces- 

 sible from the right bank to a man who does not mind 

 a wetting ; it is, in fact, a much less dangerous place 

 than the White Stone, where the Captain is represented 

 as standing. 



