14 FORAYS AMONG SALMON AND DEER. 



pended over the metropolis, shutting out from its busy 

 myriads alike the fresh air and pure light of heaven ; 

 while before me were anticipations of an atmosphere, 

 proverbial indeed for its mists, yet at least untainted 

 by the smoke of city, often too of marvellous clearness 

 to the sight, bracing to the nerves, and rennovating to 

 the health. And as I thought of all this, I resolved not 

 to forget the pledge just made to my friend, that I 

 would do my best, by a periodically transmitted record 

 of my doings, to enliven the dull monotony of an exist- 

 ence, which, in serio-comic strain, he described as fre- 

 quently occupied " on 'change" yet knowing no variety ; 

 and in which the noblest energies and greatest activity 

 were spent " on the stocks." 



Hence, gentle reader, originated the following ema- 

 nations from my feeble pen. Feeble, did I say 1 'tis a 

 quill plucked by friend Donald from the kingly pinion 

 of the eagle, worthy indeed of a chieftain's bonnet, and 

 has soared full oft, I ween, beyond the ken of man 

 higher far, I fear, than any flight it is destined again to 

 take, at least in my fingers. 



But to begin, without stopping to dwell upon the 

 journey, the scenery through which we pass, or the 

 petty hindrances and annoyances we experienced 

 such as the loss of Walter's " wide-awake," which ap- 

 parently preferring a lively flight through the pure air 

 of heaven to the drowsy atmosphere of the railway- 

 carriage, suddenly took its departure through the win- 

 dow ; or, again, my anxiety about a certain box con- 

 taining all my fishing-tackle, which would most pro- 

 vokingly stay behind, and for which we had eventually 

 to interrupt our journey by a delay of two days in 

 " auld Reekie," the box having booked itself to some 

 place nobody knew where I must now beg you, reader, 

 to transport yourself in imagination at least, if not in 



