366

LIFE OF COLONEL MACERONI.

to me, “ What the devil are you aiming at 1”—“ You shallsee ” said I, and fired ;—whereupon I distinctly heard theball strike one of the birds, like a smart tap of the knuckles |on a door. Down came the second of the line of four, and |

fell within five yards of my feet. “ That’s what I fired at,” j

said I to Dixon, and ever after this strange random shot was |quoted as an instance of how that may happen which |we least expect. I only mention this circumstance,because King Joachim repeated it to me jocosely, while Iwas dining with him at Ajaccio for the last time inSeptember, 1815. Amongst other reminiscenses of Naples,he asked me whether I had shot any more ducks with ball,and heard the balls strike them ?

Should any of my readers have the good fortune tosojourn at Naples I particularly advise them if they areanglers to visit Patria, and take up their abode for a weekor two in a Pagliara. In the lake of Patria which is sixmiles round they will find plenty of “ spinoli in Englandcalled bass, in natural history Perea punctata. Thesefish, to the taste, are very like trout, are very voracious,and take a bait like a large trout or pike. Many of themare of ten and fifteen pounds weight, but an average maybe struck at five. The angler must be furnished with“ spinning tacklethe artificial baits sold at the tackleshops will catch them well, provided they be all white andsilvery and about four inches long. The bass will also takea worm, but it is only accidentally that he will be caught inthat way in which I never took more than two. Proceedingfrom the lake up the river of Patria, which I have alreadydescribed, and near which the shooting Pagliari arelocated, the angler fond of float fishing will find a satiety 1of sport with large tench and roach. In order to fish this |water, which is about eight miles long and fifty yards f

wide, he must have a small punt of the country, there f