THE WONDERS OF THE SHOEE. 19 



observing man learn as lie wades up the bed of 

 a trout-stream ; not to mention the strange forms 

 and habits of the tribes of water-insects. Moreover, 

 no good fisherman but knows, to his sorrow, that 

 there are plenty of minutes, ay hours, in each day's 

 fishing, in which he would be right glad of any 

 employment better than trying to 



" Call spirits from the vasty deep," 



who will not 



" Come when you do call for them." 



"What to do then? You are sitting, perhaps, in 

 your coracle, upon some mountain tarn, waiting 

 for a wind, and waiting in vain. 



" Keine luft an keine seite, 

 Todes-stille f iirchterlich ; " 



as Gothe has it — 



*' Und der schiffer sieht bekummert 

 Glatte flache rings umher." 



You paddle to the shore on the side whence 

 the wind ought to come, if it had any spirit in it ; 

 tie the coracle to a stone, light your cigar, lie 

 down on youi' back upon the grass, grumble, and 



c2 



