406 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



sores, though it seems so simple a matter, was a very trying and diffi- 

 cult problem to solve, and gave us no end of trouble. To show the 

 character of this difficulty, I will give my experience in the order in 

 which it came. 



We began building our inclosures by staking down a small circular 

 fence of stakes in a shallow place in the river near the shore. The 

 stakes were driven down one by one very firmly, and then firmly bound 

 together and held in their place by withes. The main objection at first 

 to this was that it was on too small a scale. "We then built other inclosures 

 on the same plan, but larger and deeper. This gave the fish more scope 

 for jumping, and, although the top of the stakes was several feet above 

 the surface of the water in the inclosure, the salmon easily jumped over 

 them and escaped into the river. We then put a covering, or roof, over 

 the corral on a level with the top of the fence. The salmon now, 

 although they could not escape by jumping out, were no less persistent 

 in their attempts to do so, and literally wore and lashed themselves to 

 death in their frantic and ceaseless efforts to escape. I then built a 

 large covered wooden box, 16 feet long and about 4 feet deep, and 5 

 feet broad, with wide seams between the boards to let the water 

 through, and anchored it in the current. As the box when soaked sank 

 nearly its depth in the water, the salmon had no chance to jump and 

 lash themselves as in the staked inclosure, and we flattered ourselves 

 we had found the solution of this troublesome problem of providing a 

 suitable place of confinement ; but what was our surprise and disap 

 pointnient when, on examining the salmon in the box a few days after, 

 we found them all dead. The close confinement of the box had really 

 prevented them from injuring themselves as before by jumping, but at 

 the same time had acted so unfavorably in other ways as to cause their 

 death. 



The prospect now looked very discouraging. We could catch salmon 

 enough for our purpose, but we could not keep them alive. They 

 were, in fact, dying as fast as we caught them. It now occurred to 

 us that an open pond, supplied by a good stream of river- water, would 

 obviate the difficulties presented, as then the fish, having nothing but 

 dry land to jump on to, would give up jumping and remain quiet. I 

 accordingly put on a force of Indians at once, and in a few days had a 

 pond of considerable size ready, and supplied by a stream of water 

 taken from the flume which conveyed the river-water from the wheel to 

 the hatchiug-house. A large number of salmon were then put in here, 

 and we felt decidedly encouraged. But now a new difficulty presented 

 itself: the fish would not ripen in the pond. Whether it was that the 

 roiling of the pond by their movements when frightened prevented the 

 eggs and milt from maturing, or whether the friction produced by their 

 incessant jumping is one of the necessary conditions of their ripening, 

 I do not know, but it is certain that neither eggs nor milt matured in 

 the pond, and I think we did not take a single ripe egg or any first-rate 



