TO SIRINUGGUR. 15 



but too soon yet. Away he sped, bending the rod alarm- 

 ingly, and making the winch talk loudly. I turned him 

 again, and repeated the attempt to net him away he 

 rushed again. I then humoured him, and tired him with 

 the rod and short line, until he was bagged, the lad going 

 up to his middle, and when in the net he could not lift 

 him out himself. 



He was a regular monster in size, but beautiful to 

 behold a truly handsome fish, of lustrous golden hues. 

 He was carried off in triumph, suspended from my moun- 

 tain staff across the shoulders of two well-sized youths, 

 who could but j list keep his tail off the ground. 



Great was the admiration in camp, and many and 

 various the guesses at his weight. 24th and I each had 

 a 24-lb. weighing hook : putting both together, a weight 

 of 48 Ib. was required to bring both indicators flush, which 

 my captive did ; so we rated him as a fifty-pounder. 



I must not dismiss this sporting incident without re- 

 cording the excellent qualities of this fish when brought 

 to table. He had hung all night, disembowelled : in the 

 morning was not scaled, but skinned, and being cut in 

 lateral scallops was simply fried, and without any exagger- 

 ation was delicious, only inferior to a good salmon. It 

 was firm and rich, of a brown colour, flaked with curd, 

 and though I was prepared with anchovy sauce, that was 

 scouted. I never myself eat any mahseer, or other Indian 

 river fish, anything like it. 



My two guests chatted away at dinner, a glass or two 

 of ale being highly appropriate on the occasion of this 

 huge success. We parted at nine, early hours being 

 essential, they intending to proceed onwards at dawn, I to 

 stop and try my luck again. 



25th April. Bijaori. I tried the upper pool above the 

 town, a beautiful and most promising-looking pool : but, 



