PROPER CAUTIONS 117 



fluid is annoying, for we should wrong you to say 

 so, but to prevent the pumping noise you would 

 otherwise make at every step. If you are not much 

 of a triton, you may use fishermen's boots, and keep 

 yourself dry : it is all a matter of taste. When you 

 are wading through the rapids, step on quickly and 

 boldly, and do not gaze down on the stream after 

 the fashion of Narcissus ; for running waves will 

 not reflect your beauty, but only make your head 

 giddy. If you stop for a moment, place your legs 

 abreast of each other : should you fancy a straddle, 

 with one of them in advance, the action of the water 

 will operate upon both, trip you up, and carry you 

 out to sea. Observe, I am talking of a heavy stream. 

 The body of a man, who probably lost his life in this 

 manner, was found low down the river when I was 

 fishing. I asked John Haliburton, who was then 

 my fisherman, where it came from. ' I suppose," 

 said he, " it travelled all the way from Peebles."* 



Avoid standing upon rocking stones, for obvious 

 reasons ; and never go into the water deeper than 

 the fifth button of your waistcoat : even this does 

 not always agree with tender constitutions in frosty 

 weather. As you are likely not to take a just 

 estimate of the cold in the excitement of the sport, 

 should you be of a delicate temperament, and be 

 wading in the month of February, when it may 

 chance to freeze very hard, pull down your stock- 

 ings, and examine your legs. Should they be black, 

 or even purple, it might, perhaps, be as well to get 

 on dry land ; but if they are only rubicund, you may 



* Peebles was about twenty-five miles from the spot in question. 



