Scotch Salmon- fishing. 31 



Major Taylor and sister of the Earl of Fife, 

 lie made a sketch from her window of the 

 an-ival of the king in his yacht, which her 

 ladyship carefully preserved. He also saw 

 Sir Walter Scott busily engaged in marshal- 

 ling the Highlanders preparatory to their 

 taking part in the royal reception. 



Leaving Edinburgh, he rented a nice house 

 in the town of Keith for two months, and 

 commenced salmon-fishing. His first attempt 

 was not successful, as after hooking a ^q 

 salmon, and bringing it on to the shingle after 

 half an hour's i)lay, it gave a sudden spring 

 and escaped, carrying a good part of the line 

 with it. This was a lesson, and he used a 

 gaff for the futiu^e. But he had not much 

 time to give to salmon, as it was now the 

 grouse season; so he bought two good pointers, 

 and had excellent si^ort with them, although 

 his greatest bag Avas only thirty-six brace. 

 These he sent to his friends in England, 

 packed in layers, in a box surrounded by 



