ISLE OF WIGHT I2/ 



travellers. We had the place almost to our- 

 selves. 



Having settled Pond No. 2 we started off 

 down the river for No. 3. There I got a brace 

 of beautiful trout and lost a brace and a half. 

 The Major, after catching a brace and putting 

 them back regretfully, gave it up and looked on. 



I began by saying that the secretary is a 

 Waltonian. I now discovered that he combines 

 in his own person the Waltonian qualifications 

 and those of Gilbert White; he is a scientific 

 naturalist, and when he invited us to tea at his 

 pretty Waltondale, I found it to be a little 

 museum of natural history. After the day's 

 fatigue, Mrs. Wadham gave us a delightful tea 

 down under the trees that overhang the Lukely. 

 While this was going on the Major's nine-year- 

 old boy Bob strolled a little way up the river, 

 saw a rise, rushed back, seized his father's rod, 

 made a beautiful cast over the trout, a big 

 one too, hooked him, shouted for his father to 

 bring the net, and there was a general skedaddle. 

 Bob held on, got the fish up to the bank, and 

 lost him. Never did I see the usually calm 

 Major more excited or more disappointed. And 

 so we passed a very pleasant day, and I will 



