THE OTTER. 149 



clinging to some stubborn water-plant, from which it 

 was with difficulty extricated. Though therefore we 

 wandered round the shore, occasionally catching a 

 small fish, all the larger ones made their escape, 

 frequently causing the loss of the fly. And soon tiring 

 of such tame amusement, we put up our tackle and were 

 about to start for home, when Donald discovered, 

 carefully concealed beneath the heather, a well-known 

 contrivance for fishing, belonging no doubt, to some of 

 the shepherds, and yclept, from its deadly effects, the 

 " otter." 



As my reader is doubtless unacquainted with this, 

 one of the most effective weapons of the Highlander for 

 securing his daily meal, I will devote a few lines to a 

 description of it. It consists of a small board, fastened 

 to a string, in the same manner and on the same 

 principle as that of the common kite, with which we 

 entertained our boyhood, so tha.t when the string is 

 pulled by a person walking along the shore, the board, 

 being previously thrown into the water, darts out to the 

 furthest distance allowed by the string; and as the 

 walker advances along the shore, the "otter" traces out 

 a parallel path through the water. To this board are 

 attached a number of hooks, baited with fly or worm, 

 according to the day, the fish, or the locality; and to 

 this simple contrivance, there being no fisherman 

 visible to create alarm, the best and most wary fish 

 frequently become victims. 



The otter then, thus opportunely discovered, was 

 soon armed with its full complement of hooks, and 

 a place being selected where the weeds least obstructed 

 the passage, it was thrown out, and once beyond the 

 range of the weeds, started steadily on its experimental 

 voyage. 



