BRITTANY. 209 



of my fowling-piece, the stock and locks having been blown 

 away from them by the contents of my companion's gun, 

 which had exploded as he was mounting the wall immediately 

 behind me. This was quite shooting enough for one day, 

 and made me rather cautious in future in selecting my 

 camarades de la chasse. 



My shooting excursions were not confined to the neigh- 

 bourhood of Quimperle alone, but I frequently visited the 

 towns of Quimper, Pontivy, and Faoult, and met with some 

 good sport in their respective vicinities. The winter, which 

 in this country is generally remarkably soft and mild, soon 

 passed away, and the month of February brought with it 

 the first aspect of spring. I found that my neighbour, the 

 Scotch doctor, had already killed several fresh salmon ; and 

 although at this period I was but a tyro in this noble branch 

 of the gentle art, I started one fine morning at the latter 

 end of the month, and tried the March-brown in the smaller 

 river near the town, and, although they were not in very 

 good condition, soon filled my creel with trout. 



The next month (March) was a capital time for salmon 

 in these parts, and the water was in excellent order, but 

 the fish, owing to the obstructions and impediments I have 

 before enumerated, were very scarce, and it required a firsb- 

 rate fisherman (to which I had no pretensions) to catch 

 them. Trout I could manage to kill in any quantity, but 

 the great object of my ambition, the salmon, eluded the 

 utmost efforts of my skill, and it was with feelings of 

 unspeakable envy that I often met the old Scotch doctor, 

 with his rough tackle, and several nice salmon suspended 

 from his shoulders. He made no secret of his flies, which he 

 told me were invariably the grey turkey-wing, and dark 

 violet body, and indeed made me a present of several; but I 

 was so unsuccessful in my campaigns against this roi des 

 poissons, that I took to sea-trout fishing at Pontaveine 



p 



