easily commanded by a single-handed rod, and being unencumbered by trees or bushes. The Annan salmon ascend the river in great numbers, and the pools at certain times are literally full of fish, which, however, do not attain the deep colour or richness of flesh of some waters-for instance, the Severn, the Wye, or the glorious Tweed. There is a want of the rich curd of the fish taken in the last-named river. We have spoken of the unfavourable season of 1868, and that of 1869, which terminated on the 31st of October, and proved scarcely better than its predecessor. For some months fishing was quite out of the question, there being scarcely any water at all, which state of things was succeeded by a number of heavy showers, which created almost an inland sea, after the subsidence of which, even the fish continued very shy, probably from having indulged in such repeated feasts of worms and other food. On the generality of rivers both seasons have proved very unsatisfactory, and while nil was the result of the end of the season with the generality of fishermen, some have managed one, others two, and so forth. Ex-Baillie Jardine, of Lochmahen, who, to skill and long practice in the "gentle art," adds indefatigable perseverance, succeeded during the late season in capturing five fish of the respective weights of 22lbs., 16lbs., 12lbs., 9lbs., and winding up the season on the 31st of October with a thumper of 30lbs. weight. The Annan and the Kinnel, although having many fine rapid streams, are of a more sluggish character than the Tweed or the Tay, and consequently not so much confined to the practice of the fly, but affording also good bait-fishing (a branch of the art for which we have ourselves but little relish); and numbers of salmon are taken with the lobworm, for which they evince a decided penchant. In the early part of the season, while the water abounds with kelts, the cleik, or landing-hook, is an unlawful weapon to be carried by the angler, although it is frequently secreted about his person and also made use of in gaffing his keltship. The rivers of the district under description are vigilantly watched, especially when a visit of Dumfries poachers is expected. The flies employed on the Annan are usually dressed with turkey wings of a very small black-and-white mottle, and a feather of a cinnamon colour is a great favourite; while the Irish flies also kill well. The bodies are made very sparingly, and the hackle, after being stripped on one side, is lapped by the point towards the bend of the hook, and the butt of the feather is fastened so as to come below the wings without any shouldering similar to that adopted on many other waters. Tinsel is used while tail-tufts are generally dispensed with. Having thus briefly alluded to the rivers of the district, we may add a few words regarding the lochs, which generally contain pike, perch, bream, chub, roach, and some trout. The Kirk loch formerly was well stocked with pike, which have, however, disappeared under the attacks and ravages of the cels, which here attain a great size, and the silver cels are of most excellent quality. This loch contains also the common eel, which, however, will not bear comparison with his silver rival. The number to be taken with a set line, armed with from 35 to 50 hooks, in a single favourable night, is very great, as well as the size of many. We despatched a basket of these fish to a friend at Birkenhead, which, however, were rendered useless in the hot weather, in consequence of his absence from home. In writing to acknowledge the receipt of the piscine package he was anxious to know where and how such fine eels were caught, declaring that we might as well have sent him a python as one of the eels, which weighed 7 lbs. This was certainly a very fair specimen of a silver eel, which, however, attains a much greater weight in the lochs in the neighbourhood of loch Maben. We confess ourselves that we prefer eels of much smaller size, as we exult in them fried, although certainly when properly stewed, with the adjuncts of rich gravy, well seasoned, including the important matter of a little wine, they form " a dainty dish to set before a king." The pike of this district attain a good size, are of excellent quality, and also afford good sport, and so far we prize him; but when he makes his appearance on the table we are quite contented to see our friend enjoy him, while we consider that when he is done, in his simplest form, either by roasting or baking, with a pudding in his stomach, he is a most inferior fish (to say nothing of the botheration of his numerous bones), and when stewed, &c., with wine and all the various concomitants recommended by Izaak Walton and others, we think the sauce delicious, but wasted upon the fresh-water shark, who is certainly not worth the expense of his preparation. The vendace of which of which we spoke in a former number, as being confined to the lochs of this locality (and said to have been introduced by Mary Queen of Scots) is a very pretty silvery fish, with the remarkable but distinct representation of a human heart on the crown of the head, and declared by all to be of excellent eating, while some say that even this is a little exaggerated on rccount of its being so great a rarity. We have a specimen of this small curiosity preserved in spirits, and hermetically sealed. We also tasted one, and consider him very good in a gastronomic point of view, and in flavour resembling a fresh herring; but we have no wish to disturb our friend in his dwelling place of ardent spirits. There are fine bream in these lochs, but this being a coarse fish that we never tasted, we must leave it to others to judge of his pretensions. Roach, which are plentiful, prove excellent baits for the silver eels, as well as the pike. There are plenty of chub or skillies, but although we have killed them with fly (and of course met with lazy indifferent sport) we cannot say that we cared about their edible qualities. We here give a brief account of the fish contained in the lochs and rivers of the district. The largest, viz., the Castle loch, contains vendace, trout, pike (those weighing 30lbs. have often been killed), perch, eels, chub, bream, roach, and occasionally there have been salmon, sea-trout, and herling. The Kirk loch, close to, or we may almost say, in the town of Loch Maben, contains trout, perch, chub, eels, roach, and bream. The Mill loch, also beside the town, produces vendace, trout, pike, perch, roach, and chub (very numerous up to 3lbs. and 4lbs. weight). The Broom Hill, or Halleaths loch, about three-quarters of a mile from Loch Maben, has trout, pike, perch, roach, bream (very large), chub plentiful, eels both the common and the silver kind. High Tay loch, about two miles from Loch Maben, has trout, pike, perch, roach, chub, bream, and eels. The Upper loch has pike, perch, and eels. The two Blind lochs contain the same fish, and also bream. The Grummel loch, close to Loch Maben, contains sheep, calves, cows, hares, &c., and at certain seasons snipes, but nothing of the piscine order, having been for many years drained, and in consequence, like the Isle of Ely, producing excellent crops, especially of hay. This loch in former times was celebrated as a place of punishment. Long prior, and for more than a century, subsequent to the date of the present charter, the punishment inflicted upon female convicts was universally drowning; and in cases of very heinous crime (such as witchcraft) burning at the stake. It was deemed highly indelicate and shocking to expose females to any other mode of execution than this. Even in this century wanton females were carried through the town shoulder-high on a plank of wood, as a gentleman sits saddle-back, and were ducked (sometimes almost drowned) in the Grummel and Mill lochs. In Banbury, in Oxfordshire, there is, or was at a comparatively recent date, a pond of water called "Cuck pool," or Cockpool, in which "common women" were ducked, within the memory of persons who were alive in 1793. And an engine called the "cuckstool" (a pillory) had only been removed a short while before that year. The "Cuckpool" at Banbury and its use appear to be alluded to in an old rhyme, the meaning of which must have puzzled thousands by whom and to whom it used to be chanted in the nursery: "Ride a white horse to Banbury Cross, Little was it suspected when this doggerel ditty was sung to innocent children, that it commemorated the punishment of the most worthless characters. The ducking-pools were foul, stagnant water-deep, dirty puddles. Sir James Crab received from Bruce a charter of lands in Aberdeen shire (1319) called "Puddle Place, where the 'cock-pool' or stool stood." The punishment of ducking was often inflicted in Aberdeen. In the city of Chester, in the time of the Saxons, the law against those who brewed bad ale was either to be placed in a ducking chair, and plunged into a pool of muddy water, or to forfeit four shillings. The word "cuckstule" is employed by Allan Ramsay to signify a pillory. The designation of the Murrays of "Cukpule" seems to afford unequivocal proof of the manner in which the property acquired the name which it still retains. That Lochmaben had its pit or cock-pool, as well as its gallows, seems certain. The site of the latter is well known; but where the pool was cannot now be accurately fixed, unless it be the Grummel loch. (To be continued.) SALES OF BLOOD STOCK. At Albert Gate, by Messrs. Tattersall, on Monday, Nov. 8th: MR. J. SAXON'S BROOD MARES. Hyssop (1858), by Sweetmeat, out of Cicatrix by The Doctor (Mr. Parker) PROPERTY OF MR. ALLINGTON. Suspicion, by Alarm, out of Blue Bell (Mr. Mavor) THE PROPERTY OF THE LATE SIR C. RUSHOUT. Sulky Bet, br. f. by Rattle, out of Chamounix, 4 yrs. (Mr. Rawlinson) Jager, by Wild Huntsman-Maid of Tyne by Galanthus, 6 yrs. (Mr. Beeson) 30 At Doncaster, by Messrs. Tattersall : THE LET OF THE LATE LORD GLASGOW'S STALLIONS. FOR THE SEASON 1870. Knowsley (1859) (Stanley), by Stockwell, dam by Orlando (Lord Norreys) 820 General Peel (1861), by Young Melbourne, dam by Orlando (Mr. Gulliver) Light Bob (1860), by Voltigeur, dam by Orlando (Duke of Rutland) First Flight (1861), by Brother to Bird on the Wing-Physalis by Bay Middleton (Mr. Bissett) GS. 600 150 130 100 400 60 130 300 80 Beauvale (1860), by Young Melbourne-Physalis (Mr. Linton) Brother to Schiedam, by the Flying Dutchman-Emeute (Mr. T. T. Parker) A colt by Tom Bowline, dam by Melbourne-Miss Whip (Mr. I. Woolcott) At Albert Gate, by Messrs. Tattersall, on Monday, Nov. 22nd: B. f. (Sister to Scottish Chief), 2 yrs. (Mr. Brown) 20 yrs. (Mr. H. Olive) 50 Heirloom, br. c. by Lord Clifden, out of Heiress by Teddington, yearling (Mr. B. c. by Newminster, out of Eda by Birdcatcher, yearling (Lord Sudeley)... yearling (Mr. Witt)... Br. c. by Knight of Kars, out of Impatience by Birdcatcher, yearling (Mr. Garrett) Hibernian, b. g. by Knight of St. Patrick, out of Azalia, 2 yrs. (Mr. Reeves) Holyrood, b. c. by Knight of the Thistle, out of Auricula, 2 yrs. (Mr. Creswell) Luna, br. f. by Camerino, out of Bonny Blink, 3 yrs. (Mr. Groves) Alastor, ch. c. by Thormanby, out of Breeze, 3 yrs. (Mr. Mills) 65 110 25 38 50 Dunoon, by Dundee, out of Calcavella by Birdcatcher, covered by Tim Whiffler, 4 yrs. (Mr. Sone) Br. c. foal by Tim Whiffler, out of Dunoon (Mr. Anthony) 25 16 Belfast, ch. c. by Stockwell, out of Bessie Bell by Touchstone, 4 yrs. (Mr. M. Sutton)... 40 20 20 Hirondelle, br. f. by Macaroni, out of Philomel by The Flying Dutchman, 2 yrs. (Mr. Alibi, by The Lawyer, out of Cicatrix by The Doctor, 3 yrs. (Mr. Reeves) Memento, by Stockwell, out of Vergiss-mein-Nicht by The Flying Dutchman, 3 yrs. (Mr. H. Thompson) 15 |