BANK NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1851, 17 August 1893, Page 33

BANK NOTES.

In commemoration of the tercentenary of the birth of Izaak Walton, a• ' tercentenary edition " of "The Compleat Angler" is promised by 4- Samuel Bagstar and Sons in the autumn. The lives of Walton and Cotton, by Sir John Hawkins, will be given in an abridged form, and Mr J. E. Harting, librarian to the Linnean Society, will supply notes. The illustrations will be a special feature of this new edition. It is not so long ago since the hundredth edition of Walton and Cotton's " Compleat Angler," by R. B. Marston, editor of The Fishing Gazette, was published in two handsome volumes. Mr Marston has written to The Times suggesting that a memorial tablet to Izaak Walton should be placed in St. Dunstan's Church, Fleet street, to which parish Walton belonged, and was a vestryman. The mayor of Stafford is also going to celebrate Walton's tercentenary by a banquet in that town, Walton's birthplace. Softer and more pliable than any woman, a salmon has the 'strength of a mole, which, proportionately, is greater than that -of an elephant; simple in its organisation as it seems, its movements are as inimitable by any human contrivance as the flight of a bird has

proved to 1 be.— Spectator. The English Fishing Gazette is responsible for the following :— " A few days ago two gillies, whom we may call Alieter and Dtinald, foregathered, as ÜBual at the Balngoggan Arms Hotelin case their services might be required on the river. Of course it was no use trying, river dead low and bright sunshine overhead. How to pass the time was a regular' puzzle until two worthy crofters from Dallachraggan appeared on the scene with their shaggy ponies and primitive harness. After the usual handshakings and l Cia mar tha sibhs?' (How are you ?) the four adjourned to Nq, 3, where a half mutchkin of the best was'called ; then an-

other, and another, and so on until midday, when the crofters left. The two gillies found themselves outside under a scorching sun, and, thinking that a quiet siesta in some shady nook would do them good, they betook themselves to the carthouse at the back, and there lay down on the clean brackens on the ground *to have a snooze. Donald, who was the first to waken, got up' and' left Alister snoring. Shortly afterwards a monstrous breeding bow waddled into the carthouse, and coolly lay down on the spot vacated by-Donald, with its bristly .hack ' close to Alister. In due time Betsy, the scullerymaid, went' out shouting, ♦ Tha n dinneir deas' (dinner's ready), but had great difficulty in rousing Alister." At last he gave the sow.a dig with his fist, saying, • Dhonuill, tha n dinneir deas' (Donald, the dinner's ready).' This he repeated several times, and on each occasion was replied by a long-drawn grunt from the ■pig— pig No. 2we might almost call it. When Betsy got Aliater , thoroughly rouped up, his - dismay can be better' imagined than described. I may add that this incident is not a f made-up,' for it really happened/ . We (Christchurch Press) wonder how many of our local anglers remembered the fact that Wednesday last was the" tercentenary of the birth of Izaak Walton, the author of "The Compleat Angler, or the 'Contemplative Man's Recreation"? The gentile philosopher, who has done so much to- throw, an idyllic glamour round the sport of 'fishing, ;w»s born a * Stafford on August 9, 1593, and, the first edition of his great masterpiece appeared in 1653. He ■is tl c author of other boofts nearly, if not quite, as delightful, which ought to be better known than they are. His " Lives " of Donne, Wotton, Hooker, Herbert, and Sanderson was a great favourite of Dr Johnson, and iB one of *he sweetest and most wholesome works in the English language. There, are many grdent devotees of angling in New' Zealand, and our trout streams are now reckoned among our national resources. We have not heard, however, of any Walton celebrations. One of the English papers advised that the day should be kept in characteristic fashion in the spirit of the founder by spending it in angling and quiet contemplation. Here, at this season of the year, the acclimatisation societies would probably object to -the angling. True lovers of the tport, however, , would do well to preserve Walton's memory by reading his books and endeavouring to cultivate his spirit. «He himself wished his disciples to be " ldverß of virtue, to dare trust in God's providence, and be quiet and go a- angling." At present it is whispered that even some members of acclimatisation societies do not fully act up to all these precepts.

The American champion swimmer, Mr Cu&ker, defeated easily the ex-champion English swimmer, Finney, at Blackpool on July 16, in a match for £200 a-side. Mr Cusker was afterwards challenged by the English swimmer Nutjall to race a mile for £1000 a-side. '

Stanbury, M'Lean and Stepheneon, three Australian scullers, arrived at Detroit, Michigan. Pending the" making *bf several matches, they have decided to .give' sculling exhibitions throughout that State. The racing yacht Queen Mab, whose long disappearance on a trip from England to the United States caused so much anxiety amoDg yachting men, was towed into New York on July 9. She bore all signs of a rough trip. One of her crew was lost overboard, and two others saved themselves with' difficulty.

Wellington will be represented by 10 men at the forthcoming New South Wales Rifle Association meeting. The team will be selected by the holding of three competitions, and each man will receive £10 from the funds to defray expenses.