318 FISHING GOSSIP. 



I wish I could recollect the words." " The gent as 

 wrote them verses didn't live about these parts, any 

 ways," growled out Harris ; " but I think we'd better 

 be off, gentlemen, if we're to catch any fish to-day." 

 So away we float again down stream. 



"P.," said I, "the author of Piscatory Eclogues, 

 who wrote about fishing a hundred and thirty-four 

 years ago, must have been in a fix on just some such 

 hot day as this, when he wrote 



" Then vainly waves the angler's reedy cane, 

 And costly baits allure the drove in vain ; 

 Ofttimes he views, awarned by adverse skies, 

 His fly, or sportless cork, with hopeless eyes." 



We were still floating down, when Harris said : 

 " This is Doumney ; I wonder if Mr. Buckland knows 

 the meaning of that." " No," said I, " what is it ?" 

 " It's one of the places where the Eomans crossed the 

 Thames, and the soldiers at Chobharn was going to do 

 the same thing one day with their pontoons (soldiers 

 is always soldiers, sir) ; but there's another place where 

 they crossed close to Walton-bridge, and they dredge 

 up curious things sometimes. The other day a man 

 told me he had dredged up a marble image like, and it 

 lay about in the barge a long time, and then the man 

 said he would take it home, and put it in the garden 

 for an ornament." " Harris," I said, " where's that 

 garden ? Don't disappoint me ; we'll go there in- 

 stantly." " WeE, sir," said Harris, " the man never 



