XV 



A person who had only seen the Tweed in its polluted con- 

 dition might readily be pardoned for coming to the conclusion 

 that in this instance the salmon disease was to be attributed to 

 pollutions. In the course of our inquiry, however, evidence was 

 given that the salmon disease had occurred in many places where 

 no pollutions whatever existed. Thus in the Nith at Dumfries 

 there are no pollutions in the waters where the salmon disease 

 occurred. A witness stated that "the Nith is quite pure where 

 " he observed the disease. It is one of the cleanest rivers there is." 

 It is polluted at Dumfries, but below where the disease was first . 

 observed. The Annan is also pure. 



The Kirkcudbright Dee is also pure. The Doon used formerly 

 to be polluted from the Carnochan coal mines, but a witness told 

 us that the pollutions were cured, and the stones in the river 

 which were discoloured were now getting clean. When the pollu- 

 tions were bad there was no disease ; for several years the pollutions 

 had not been at all bad, and yet there was disease. 



The Cumberland Derwent is a little polluted by collieries and 

 debris of lead mines and tin-plate works, but is a comparatively 

 pure river on the whole. 



The Eden is not polluted very much in its upper waters. The 

 sewage of Carlisle in the lower waters is, however, very bad, and 

 on the Calder, a tributary joining the Eden near its estuary, there 

 are dye, tan, print, and brewing works. These, however, do not 

 much affect the main Eden. 



The Girvan cannot be said to be polluted, nor yet the Dee or 

 Bladenoch. The upper waters of the Lune are entirely free from 

 pollution. 



The cause of salmon disease would appear from the above to be 

 unconnected with pollution, yet we must pause awhile and take 

 into consideration other facts of the case. Although the rivers 

 may be unpolluted by the consequence of human industries, yet 

 the very fact of so many dead fish being accumulated in the river 

 may be considered in itself as the worst possible form of pollution. 

 {See p. xxi.) 



2. Lowness of Water and Land Drainage. 



I now come to the second cause on my list, viz., lowness of 

 water. On this point the following evidence was offered : — 



" The water was low. The river was about half or two-thirds 



full." (Nith.) 



" The river was very low in the spring.''' (Nith.) 



" The fish cannot get away after spawning owing to deficiency of 



water, and if they are kept too long in fresh water they might 

 " contract the disease." (Annan.) 



" The river was very low in 1878 and 1879, in the spring 

 " months." (Annan.) 



" When the diseased fish were first noticed, the water was low." 

 (Annan.) 



" There was very low water. 1877 was followed by an ex- 

 " ceptionally dry year." (Doon.) 



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