256 A fine fish. App. B. 



had fought so bravely and pluckily for eight hours and 

 a half. By this time it was 2. 30 a. m. so my servants 

 shouldered the fish, pots, and pans, and we started off 

 home, floundering about over the two miles and a half 

 of boulders and shingle in pitch darkness, as the lantern 

 had burned out. On arrival I of course routed up A., 

 and we weighed the fish. He just turned the scale at 

 52 lbs., and was 4 feet 5 in. in length, which I must con- 

 fess rather disappointed me, as I had landed in the pre- 

 vious year one of 57 lbs. that had not given anything 

 like the sport of this one. 



A. had most patiently waited three hours for dinner, 

 and then in despair sat down to his solitary meal. My 

 fisherman's appearance with my dinner order was a great 

 relief to his mind, as he was on the point of sending out 

 natives with lanterns to search the banks and pools of 

 the river, fearing that I had been carried down a rapid 

 and stranded in some uncomfortable place, even if no- 

 thing worse had occurred. 



On the following day we did not start till twelve, and 

 had very poor sport, only catching one of 7 lbs. each — 

 attributable, I think, to there having been a thunderstorm * 

 in the hills during the night. We had serious thoughts 

 of moving our camp a few miles up the river. 



Two friends arrived next morning in time for break- 

 fast; though we had fished in the early morning, we had 

 bagged nothing. In the afternoon I went 3 miles up the 

 river, and caught three in a beautiful rocky stream, los- 

 ing a phantom; then, finding that a small boat we had 



