ey were striving to make their way, in battalions, up a foss,
that was of no great height, but poured down its waters in a compact
flood with the din of a larger cataract. Persuaded as we had been of the
improbability that success would attend our sport, our spirits became
more buoyant as our attendant, by his despairing tone, made our
prosperity less likely.

All the most famous fishermen have visited this little river of Sand,
and after adopting every mode, all of them have failed to take the fish.
Although the salmon float within sight and reach in the most transparent
stream, they will not touch the fly, be it thrown even on their noses.
The only reason that can be given for this notorious fact is, that the
salmon, when they leave the sea, are generally gorged, and do not
desire, or seek for food until they have travelled some distance up the
rivers; for it is equally well ascertained that the farther the first
foss is removed from the mouth of a salmon river, the more voracious are
the fish. Now, the foss, or fall of the Sand river, is scarcely five
hundred feet from the shore of the Fiord, and the water is salt, or, at
least, brackish; and salmon are not caught in salt water.

It was certainly most annoying to my two companions, to see thousands of
the finest fish gamboling in the crystal water, not far from their feet,
and to throw their flies with the accumulated nicety of four Waltons,
absolutely in the teeth of these obstinate creatures, without the
semblance of success. I, myself, took R----'s rod, which with weariness
of hope he had laid on the ground, and seeing a splendid salmon two feet
below the surface of the stream, moving his fins slowly to resist the
current and remain stationary, I placed the fly above his head, allowing
the bait to sink gradually till it touched the top of his snout. The
fish did not, verily, alter the motion of its fins, either more
slothfully or quicker; but with perfect indifference permitted me to
keep the fly dangling before its eyes as long as I pleased.

To fish, therefore, at Sand was an absurdity; but having heard that the
Fiord abounded with seals, and wild fowl of every denomination, we
hoisted a square sail on the gig, and turned privateers.

The village of Sand is inclosed on three sides--north, east, and
south--by mountains; but before it, to the west, spread the broad waters
of the Fiord. The fragrant smell of uncultured flowers, the freshness of
the morning air,