was the outlay of four or five pounds repaid with a larger amount of interest. The favourite place in which I generally carried on my operations was a little bay into which the sea entered at half-tide, and at half ebb left its sands dry again. Its area might extend to half a square mile, and the entrance, from rock to rock, did not exceed a bow-shot. When the mullet were on the coast, this was an inlet they delighted to enter with the flood; and many a hundred of them, through my cunning devices, were fated never to return. At low water the sweep-net was laid flat upon the sands; a row of poles or oars were pitched in a straight line across the opening of the estuary, and the foot-rope secured firmly to the bottom by heavy stones; a few lighter ones were laid upon the back rope to keep the corks from rising until the turn of tide. At high water the net was raised; up sprang the corks and puckawns, the back rope was seized to the upright stakes, and in less than five minutes the prostrate net became a hempen wall, cutting off the retreat of any inconsiderate fishes which had passed over it while it lay in treacherous tranquillity. While water remained to float a punt that only drew eight inches, the boatmen passed back and forward, splashing the water with their paddles, and frightening the mullet back; and it was marvellous with what bold and continued efforts they persevered while the receding water announced a hopeless captivity. Some, when egress with the ebbing tide was barred, attempted to overleap the obstacle, and their silvered scales glittered beautifully in the sunshine as they sprang three feet above the surface, and, resisted by the net work, plashed heavily back again; then, as the falling water rendered every effort to cross the opposing barrier more desperate, the mullet, changing his tactique, would vainly endeavour to mine his way out; every inch of the foot-rope would be carefully examined, while, with wonderful instinct he would attempt to bore a passage through the sand when the stones that secured the net were found immovable. At last the crisis came; and, deserted by the element in which his active efforts had been idly wasted, he panted life away. The torpid indifference with which the fellow-sufferers of the mullet yielded to their fate, was singularly contrasted with the doings and sustained efforts he made to achieve his deliverance. They merely blundered towards the net when the falling water told them instantly to move on," receded when they met resistance, and, like scaly martyrs, bent to the will of Allah! 66 My net was not only a source of pleasure, but of profit. Early in the season, if a dead calm or cloudless sky indicated that any attempt to impose a mallard's wing upon a wary salmon would be waste of time, or later, when rain and storm closed moor and mountain from the grouseshooter-in a word, when rod and gun were found wanting, my sweepnet never failed. Its employment filled an interval in a wet day that otherwise would have passed tediously; and frequently, when the garrison supplies were rather reduced, the cook had good reason to bless the memory of the inventor of a draught-net. I never made an unsuccessful trial that I can recollect, but always brought home an abundant supply for the establishment, after sharing among the assistants a surplus of small fish sufficient for the uses of their families. I chronicled my game and fish in an almanac with fly-leaves, and one entry-it was confessedly a record of the most brilliant of my piscatorial exploits-I shall give an extract, indicating, as it does, both the quantity and variety the net would occasionally produce. "JULY 27th, 11 A. M.-Day calm and sultry; cook sulky as a bear; Peter Cain, and the sheep he went to fetch, reported non inventi. We have lived the last week on chickens and hung-beef, until, from its crambe repitita, I get nervous when the cock crows. Salmon-pish! I'm weary of them. Peter is most likely chaffering about a sixpence, while I hear the cook venting her fury upon pots and skillets in the kitchen, and the reparation of their damages by the next travelling tinker will probably not be accomplished under half-a-crown. Nothing for it but resignation and the net-so we'll off to Dhuhooma. * Could 4 P. M.-The most decided success I have yet experienced, this 27th of July-albo lapide notari. Of codlings and flounders the fellows have each a cleave full, and on the fish-house floor there are laid 23 mulletsmaximum weight 9lbs. 6oz., and ranging down to 3lbs.-a turbot, 13lbs.; two fine sea-trouts, and a dory. In all, 200lbs. of prime fish! the mistaken men who line the banks of a canal by dozens, or dabble in the London docks, have a passing peep at the fish-house floor, of course, they would retire to some convenient locality, and commit suicide on the spot. But there goes Peter and his purchase. The fellow has all the self-sufficient air of a man who has obtained a bargain. Query: How much additional crockery has Mistress Downey broken? and when Peter's cheap marketing is balanced against the demolition of my delf, how will the audit stand ?'" I have made a more extensive capture of migratory fishes, but never one so valuable; for the mullet from 6 to 9lbs. weight taken on the Irish coasts in summer is exquisite. If I may be allowed to use the pot-house parlance which one sees stuck upon beer-shop windows, I once made "a monster sweep ;" and I have reason to believe, as far as the memory of the oldest fisherman went back, one to which there was no parallel. Some ten years since I had fixed my summer quarters at the entrance of Lough Foil, and the recollection of the piscatorial success I had in "the far west" induced me to experimentalize in this fine inlet. I provided net and yawl, swept here and there where the beach was favourable, but the captures were merely a few small codlings and flounders, and their limited amount exhibited a sad contrast to the exuberant returns my net produced in Ballycroy. Now and again, I picked up a straggling grisle or white trout; but these godsends were of rare occur rence. One evening, a ferryman who plied between Green Castle and the point of Magilligan, which form on the Derry and Antrim sides the entrance of this splendid lough, announced that he had seen several salmon leap during the day in their transit from the sea, and to kill an idle hour I determined to cross over and try to arrest a wanderer. The yawl, net, four fishermen, a visitor, and myself, started accordingly; and in ten minutes we beached the boat under the Martello tower which commands the narrow opening of the lough. All was prepared for a draught, and a couple of artillery-men, who garrisoned the tower, descended the ladder of their keep, and joined us on the shore. Just as our preparations were completed for a sweep, a fine salmon sprang two feet over water, and away pulled the yawl in the hope of intercepting him, The strand, at the point of Magilligan, is low and sandy, from high to low water-mark extending to half a mile; the tide was quarter-flood, and never was a mirror more transparent than its surface. Presently, and rushing along the shore, a curious and indescribable movement was visible on the face of the water; a darkness appeared underneath, and a strange rippling broke and bubbled the surface for some three-hundred yards. By the Lord!" exclaimed the oldest of the boatmen, "here come the horse-mackarel!" 66 The rush passed on-the net directly crossing the centre of the column--and when the drag-rope was brought on shore, our united power could hardly move it. It was quite evident that the number of the enclosed was legion, and that great caution to bring them in would be required; or, from their own density and weight, the captured mackarel would break bodily through the net, and effect a general deliverance. While slowly we got the net ashore-for we neither had the power, nor dare we, in prudence, to expedite the operation-we saw thousands extricate themselves and get away. At last we got the net into halffathom water, and from one extremity to the other it was literally bellied out like a porter-barrel. Once landed on the sand, we were unable to bring it further; and, taking the water, we endeavoured to roll it in before us; this clumsy but necessary proceeding enabled thousands to escape, for we found them striking against our legs by dozens. At last we rolled ashore probably not a fourth of those originally impounded. Some cadgers who were awaiting the arrival of the turbot-boats from Innisterhull came down the beach timously to our assistance, bringing their fish-cart with them. Eight times we half filled it, and the mackarel were thrown in a heap beyond the tide's reach. The quantity when collected was marvellous, and the next question was touching their disposal. I waived all claim upon the property, and a bargain was promptly completed. The boat's crew and artillery-men received £2 each from the fish carriers, and all were gainers but my friend, who was minus a pair of boots-French polish has but a poor chance against salt water. The artillerists returned rejoicing to their tower-the boatmen rowed us over, and then adjourned to Phil. Dogerty's public-houseCaptain M. and I exchanged wet clothes for dry ones, and over a grilled chicken and a fair allowance of "brandy without," discussed the adventure of the evening. For twenty miles, and up both shores of Lough Foil, the tidings travelled, and the marvellous draught of mackarel occupied general attention. The outline of the exploit was correctly reported; but touching the extent of it, common fame was a little incorrect. The half cart-loads were altered into whole ones, and a unit prefixed before the "eight." Well, eighteen carts of fish reads better, particularly when they were stated to be well filled. * Innisterhull, is a rocky islet off Lough Swilly, with a light-house; there is a magnificent turbot-bank immediately beside it. I have before recommended that you should allow your hounds to find their own live game, and I now also advise you to grant them the same favour when it is killed. Let them hunt quietly up to their quarry, without picking it up until their arrival. If you remove it, they will naturally fling and fly about, trying to recover the lost scent; and as a rabbit is not a woodcock, a little mumbling will do it no harm, and it pleases the hounds amazingly. I love to see half-a-dozen of them pulling at him en moulinet. It also increases their love of the gun when its report is immediately followed by such enjoyment. Use your best endeavours to get your team even in pace: you must not expect to see them pushing for the lead, and carrying a head. All hounds, except fox-hounds, invariably string; and this is one objection to hare-hunting. Modern harriers, I grant, are free from this fault; but what are they but dwarf fox-hounds? If, however, you have one beagle slower than the rest, he will not be long before he learns by cunning to make up for his lack of speed, and will, whenever he can, go away with a scent without saying a word about it until he has secured a pretty good start. This is an unpardonable and incorrigible fault. Draft him forthwith, or he will soon throw up the noses of his brethren. If your hedgerows are very long and wide, it will materially assist your sport to take out a couple of boys, one of whom is to be stuck in a thin place behind the hounds, the other before. As the cry approaches him, let the boy rattle the underwood, and the rabbit must perforce bolt at one side or the other, where the guns will be stationed. If you neglect this precaution, they will, in chasing one rabbit, disturb half-a-dozen; and covert sufficient for a morning's sport will not last you for an hour. Do not stand too wide of the hedge, so as to fire into it. I have seen more accidents occur from this cause than from any other; and everybody is tempted to do so, for the sake of getting a broadside shot in preference to a stem or stern one. Boys are generally entered at rabbits, and I think imprudently. The odds in favour of a pointer and against beagles are about eight to one, independently of the shots with the latter being at ground-game instead of at flying, which, again, increases the hazard. I myself, throughout the Christmas holidays, always long for a pair of bomb-proof trousers, especially during the ricochets of a hard frost. If, by ill luck, you find yourself obliged to try a large covert, "pound" it off with nets; but let your nets be strained tight and pegged down to the ground. If you leave them slack, rabbit, hounds, and all will occasionally roll head-over-heels into them, and tear them to pieces; whereas the "taut" net will turn them as effectually as a brick wall. But this is poor fun; and you might have as good sport in shooting rats crawling about a pig-stye. A rabbit creeping through brambles, or sitting up to listen, is ignobly slain; and you had better make over this necessary and unavoidable day's destruction to your tenants and tradesmen, whose sons and apprentices will there succeed far better than in the quicker evolutions of hedge-rows or gorse-patches. With regard to shooting hares with rabbit-beagles, you must, if you allow it, make up your mind to their occasionally breaking bounds; and it is sometimes difficult to stop them, with a good scent. A hare is vastly tempting and sweet in their noses; and if you do not secure her at her first start, you must either flog off as best you may, or wait patiently in her foil until her return. As I do not approve either alternative, I stop mine immediately. My old hounds know this so well, that they will stand and look at her as she canters across the open, and wag their sterns, saying, as plainly as eyes can speak, "Joy go with you!" Many old beagles will stoop to the scent of a wounded bird or pheasant as closely as a retriever, and I have seldom found myself without one or two of this kind, so useful for the pot; but I do not by any means recommend frequent égaremens of this sort, for, recollect, with every kind of dog, every thing except their real legitimate game causes riot. If, by good or bad luck, you should happen, like myself, to possess a poor sandy pasture-field, hungry and barren, surrounded by woods, far removed from the influence of the farm-yard, and requiring the fee-simple of the land to be laid out upon it to enable it to feed a sheep per acre, convert it into a gorse-covert, leaving each sixth land unsown. You will cut one-third of the furzes every year at right angles to the permanent roads; and this, with a gun at each corner of each square, will supply a morning's sport worth enjoying. Stick your soi-disant huntsman in the centre of the square, and blaze away, keeping one warning in mind-namely, not to shoot till the rabbit fairly crosses. He will often skirt the furze, and pop in again; and in that case, if you shoot, your opposite neighbour's shins or a stray hound will be in some peril. Such a covert as this will also render you not very unpopular with your nearest master of fox-hounds. Ah, once again, merry days! merry days! The very last run which a highly-valued friend of mine ever witnessed took place from a covert closely resembling that which I have here described. Then, Lady! dear, game old Lady! thou who hadst gone over Leicestershire, steered by Frank Grant, and hadst descended in the vale of years to thy then-owner! thou who hadst provoked the Muse to celebrate thee in strains from which Tom Moore has borrowed one of his sweetest ballads! "Say what shall be our sport to-day? There's nothing, with deer or fox or hare, wast stripped of trappings unworthy of thee, and for the last time felt the racing-snaffle and the pigskin. Whether thou hadst two, three, or four shoes on, I recollect not, nor doth it matter. Gods! |