10 FISKUM FOSS. 



good fishing water is a considerable way up, 

 and only extends for about twelve miles of the 

 river, when the salmon are stopped by one of 

 the finest waterfalls in the world, called by 

 the natives " Eiskum Eoss," (Anglice, " the 

 Salmon's Pall.") This twelve miles of water 

 belongs to many small proprietors, and is 

 divided into six fishing- stations, which for 

 several years back have been regularly let on 

 lease to British sportsmen. 



While the crew were engaged in wooding 

 and watering, we employed ourselves in trying 

 some breech-loading rifles, known as " Terry's 

 patent," but although I shot a " loom " (a large 

 species of diver) at 100 yards' distance with 

 one of these, we both came to the conviction, 

 that as sporting weapons they were nearly 

 worthless, and were infinitely more trouble- 

 some and difficult, both to load and to clean, 

 than the common muzzle-loader. While 

 looking at these rifles in the shop of the 

 inventor and patentee, I had formed a high 

 opinion of them, and the result only showed 

 how difficult it is to form an accurate opinion 



And even this has been far exceeded by others, and parti- 

 cularly by the late Sir Charles Blois, who fished this river 

 for many years. 



