A RAID ON SUTHERLAND. 447 



The so-called vermin have disappeared, and no wonder. 

 Like Indian scalps, a bribe was paid down by the shooting 

 tenants for the head of each winged or footed creature of prey ; 

 and as this blood-money graduated in value from the nobler 

 to the meaner birds or animals, of course the skill and cupidity 

 of the keepers were chiefly directed to those magnificent speci- 

 mens long ago driven to remote Highland tracts, but now in a 

 fair way of being extirpated altogether. 



The " iron road " ended at Bonar Bridge, on the confines of 

 Sutherland, when I last visited that country ; so in order to 

 penetrate the lonesome straths and mountain-roads of this 

 sheep and deer grazed province, my son and I hired a neat 

 little waggonette from Ardgay. 



After baiting at Lairg, the first day's drive brought us to 

 Altnaharrow at half-past seven ( in the evening. The inn was 

 exactly in the same state of cleanliness, order, and comfort as 

 on my last visit; and my old acquaintance, Harry Munro, 

 the landlord, as civil and obliging as ever. 



A course of fine weather had dried up the streams, but as 

 there was some dead water at the foot of the feeding-burn of 

 Loch Naver, my son borrowed Harry's nondescript rod to try 

 for any stray loch-trout that might be feeding in this estuary, 

 in defiance of the remonstrances of Harry's farm man, who in- 

 sisted that the " flees were ower sma'." The fisher, however, 

 selected three to suit his own fancy, and by half-past nine 

 landed twenty loch-trout amply sufficient for a supper that 

 night, for a remove before the excellent roast-beef of our next 

 day (Sunday) dinner, and for an adjunct to Monday's breakfast 

 before leaving for Durness. When our trap was packing, 

 Harry quietly stepped up to me and asked, " What flees the 

 young gentleman fished wi', as he had never seen so mony 

 troots ta'en oot o' that bit water before." 



Our driver, besides being 'a very Intelligent lad, had been 

 employed in various capacities all over the county. With 

 great precision he pointed out the marches, described the 



