LOCHEND. 



a small one ; but, in the act, the large back-fin 

 of the latter had stuck in the mouth of the de- 

 vourer, and had choked him. The small one, 

 however, nothing deterred while carrying about 

 its incubus, had caught at the bait ; and when 

 drawn out of the water, my friend found, that 

 although the small one was still alive, the large 

 one had been dead some time. O how delight- 

 ful was early morn by this Loch ! I have been 

 on its banks at three in the morning ; and oc- 

 casionally, as I would cast up my eyes to Arthur's 

 Seat, I have seen the shepherd driving his flocks 

 before him on the fine green sward slanting 

 down from the upland ridge, the sun glinting 

 its most cheerful rays over the distant heights 

 and the ranges of the Pentlands ; Scotia's dar- 

 ling seat lying before me in all the majesty of 

 silence, no smoke as yet from any of its house- 

 hold fires no tall chimneys pointing to the skies 

 and vomiting black smoke, which we now see in 

 this view the debris from Salisbury Crags 

 making that beautiful reposing angle so much 

 admired the sound of St Giles' striking the 

 hours, and the Troh Kirk swearing that the tale 

 was true. We often came away about six 

 o'clock, with eight or nine good perch strung on 



