CONSCIENTIOUS WATER BAILIFF 199 



from his eyes till the fins and bones were removed 

 from the room, and every visible evidence of a 

 salmon having been there had completely vanished : 

 thus he saw no illegal act committed, and went to 

 give in his annual report at Cornhill with his idea of 

 a clear conscience. This was going too near the 

 wind, or rather the water ; but what would you 

 have ? the man was literal, and a great eater of 

 Salmon from his youth. 



People who are not water bailiffs have not always 

 so delicate a conscience. Let us examine the style 

 and bearing of such marauders as have fallen under 

 our notice. 



In the first place, there is your man with a pout 

 net, which resembles a landing net, only that it is 

 very considerably larger, and is in shape only half of 

 a circle ; with this he scoops out foul salmon during 

 floods, when, from weakness, they are unable to 

 stem the current, and get close under the banks. 

 This he transacts very snugly, under pretence of 

 taking trouts ; so indeed he does, and welcome too, 

 if he would stop there ; but this he is perfectly 

 averse from. 



Next in consequence comes your Triton, who 

 walks the waters with a long implement in his 

 hands, namely a leister, alias a waster ; with this 

 weapon, " quocunque nomine gaudet," the said 

 deity, quick of eye and ready of hand, forks out the 

 poor fish that are spawning on the streams ; and 

 this in close time. Vile, vile Triton ! 



Then comes your lawless band of black fishers, 

 so called from their masks of black crape with 



