A SPRING WEEK IN THE WEST HIGHLANDS. 297 



sunk banks and feeding-grounds abound in every direction, as 

 in many of the shallower Highland lochs. We soon hooked 

 a large pike, which ran out our morsel of a line, and then 

 snapped it. He most likely found as little trouble in dis- 

 gorging the hooks as in breaking the line, which the following 

 fact may show, of which I can vouch for the truth. 



A Thames fisherman hooked a large " jack " when spinning 

 at a mill-tail for trout. Not having a disgorger at hand, 

 he cut the line and threw the pike into a tub of water, to 

 keep it alive and fresh for sale the following day. To his 

 amazement next morning, the creature had managed to cast 

 up the eight-hook tackle, which was lying in the tub. 



The two following instances of the pike's voracity are al- 

 most incredible, but both I can also certify. In the spring 

 of 1841, two pike of twelve pounds weight were cast upon 

 Loch Vennachar shore, each with a hold of the other's jaws, 

 and quite dead. The second instance happened in Suffolk. 

 A jack of only two pounds was found choked in attempting 

 to swallow another of a pound and a half. The gentleman 

 who saw them taken out, only a short time before, told me the 

 fact. 



But even these instances are equalled by the solemn tooth- 

 less cod. A friend of mine was trolling in Loch Long, and 

 hooked a seithe. An enormous cod seized the seithe, and paid 

 the penalty by being brought into the boat himself. His 

 girth seemed unnaturally large, and upon opening him, a 

 brown-paper packet of sandwiches, enough for luncheon to a 

 pretty large party, was taken out. They could not have been 

 less injured, mustard and all, had the cod's stomach been a 

 sandwich-box. 



Having no more pike-tackle, we contented ourselves, before 

 joining the carriage which was to convey us to Inverary, with 

 a view of the old castle, now very tottery and dangerous to 

 ascend. Numerous daws were rejoicing in the holes and cavi- 

 ties. The osprey's nest formerly graced a high pinnacle, the 



