_For the Table Book._
Thames Ditton is a pretty little village, delightfully situated on the
banks of the Thames, between Kingston and Hampton Court palace. During
the summer and autumn, it is the much-frequented resort of the followers
of Isaac Walton’s tranquil occupation.
The Swan inn, only a few paces from the water’s edge, remarkable for the
neatness and comfort of its appearance, and for the still more
substantial attractions of its internal accommodation, is kept by Mr.
John Locke, a most civil, good-natured, and obliging creature; and, what
is not of slight importance to a bon-vivant, he has a wife absolutely
incomparable in the preparation of “stewed eels,” and not to be despised
in the art of cooking a good beef-steak, or a mutton-chop.
But what is most remarkable in this place is its appellation of “_lying_
Ditton”--from what reason I have ever been unable to discover, unless it
has been applied by those cockney anglers, who, chagrined at their want
of sport, have bestowed upon it that very opprobrious designation; and
perhaps not entirely without foundation for when they have been
unsuccessful in beguiling the finny tribe, the fishermen, who attend
them in their punts, are always prepared to assign a cause for their
failure; as that the water is too low--or not sufficiently clear--or too
muddy--or there is a want of rain--or there has been too much of that
element--or--any thing else--except a want of skill in the angler
himself, who patiently sits in his punt, watching the course of his
float down the stream, or its gentle diving under the water, by which he
flatters himself he has a bite, listening to the stories of his
attendant, seated in calm indifference at his side, informing him of the
mortality produced among the gelid tribe by the noxious gas which flows
into the river from the metropolis, the alarming effects from the motion
of the steam-boats on their fishy nerves, and, above all, from their
feeding at that season of year on the green weeds at the bottom.
However, there are many most skilful lovers of the angle who pay weekly,
monthly, or annual visits to this retired spot; amongst whom are
gentlemen of fortune, professional men, and respectable tradesmen. After
the toils of the day, the little rooms are filled with aquatic
sportsmen, who have left the cares of life, and the great city behind
them, and associate in easy conversation, and unrestrained mirth.
One evening last summer there alighted from the coach a gentleman,
apparently of the middle age of life, who first seeing his small
portmanteau, fishing-basket, and rods safely deposited with the
landlord, whom he heartily greeted, walked into the room, and shaking
hands with one or two of his acquaintances, drew a chair to the window,
which he threw up higher than it was before; and, after surveying with a
cheerful countenance the opposite green park, the clear river with its
sedgy islands, and the little flotilla of punts, whose tenants were
busily engaged on their gliding floats, he seemed as delighted as a bird
that has regained his liberty: then, taking from his pocket a paper, he
showed its contents to me, who happened to be seated opposite, and asked
if I was a connoisseur in “single hair;” for, if I was, I should find it
the best that could be procured for love or money. I replied that I
seldom fished with any but gut-lines; yet it appeared, as far as I could
judge, to be very fine. “Fine!” said he, “it would do for the filament
of a spider’s-web; and yet I expect to-morrow to kill with it a fish of
a pound weight. I recollect,” continued he, “when I was but a tyro in
the art of angling, once fishing with an old gentleman, whose passion
for single-hair was so great, that, when the season of the year did not
permit him to pursue his favourite diversion, he spent the greatest part
of his time in travelling about from one end of the kingdom to the
other, seeking the best specimens of this invaluable article. On his
visits to the horse-dealers, instead of scrutinizing the horses in the
customary way, by examining their legs, inquiring into their points and
qualities, or trying their paces, to the unspeakable surprise of the
venders, he invariably walked up to the nether extremities of the
animals, and seized hold of their tails, by which means he was enabled
to select a capital assortment of hairs for his ensuing occupation.”
After the new-comer had finished his amusing anecdote, the noise of a
numerous flock of starlings, which had assembled among the trees in the
park preparatory to their evening adjournment to roost, attracted his
notice by the babel-like confusion of their shrill notes, and led him
again to entertain us with a story touching _their_ peculiarities.
“I remember,” said he, “when I was at a friend’s house in Yorkshire last
autumn, there were such immense numbers of these birds, who sought their
sustenance by day on the neighbouring marshes, and at night came to
roost in his trees, that at length there was not room for their entire
accommodation; the consequence of which was, that it became a matter of
necessity that a separation of their numbers should take place--a part
to other quarters, the remainder to retain possession of their old
haunts. If I might judge from the conflicting arguments which their
confused chatterings seemed to indicate, the contemplated arrangement
was not at all relished by those who were doomed to separate from their
companions--a separation, however, did take place--but the exiles would
not leave the field undisputed. Birds, like aid-de-camps of an army,
flew from one side to the other--unceasing voices gave note of dreadful
preparation--and, at last, both sides took flight at the same instant.
The whirring sound of their wings was perfectly deafening; when they had
attained a great height in the air, the two forces clashed together with
the greatest impetuosity; immediately the sky was obscured with an
appearance like the falling of snow, descending gradually to the earth,
accompanied with a vast quantity of bodies of the starlings, which had
been speared through by hostile beaks-they literally fell like hail. It
was then growing rather dusk; I could merely see the contending flocks
far above me for some time--it became darker--and I returned to narrate
this extraordinary aërial combat to my friend, who in the morning had
the curiosity to accompany me to the field of battle, where we picked
up, according to an accurate calculation, 1087 of these birds, some
quite dead, and others generally severely wounded, with an amazing
quantity of their feathers.”
I saw this amusing gentleman on the following morning sitting quietly in
his punt, exercising his single-hair skill, nearly opposite to the
little fishing-house.