94 SALMONIA. 



depending upon his activity .and strength, 

 and the rapidity of the stream he moves 

 against. He is now playing against the 

 strongest rapid in the river and will soon 

 give in if he keeps his present place. 



Poiet. — You have tired him. 



Hal. — He seems fairly tired : I shall 

 bring him in to shore. Now gaff him; 

 strike as near the tail as you can. He is 

 safe ; we must prepare him for the pot. 

 Give him a stunning blow on the head to 

 deprive him of sensation, and then give him 

 a transverse cut just below the gills, and 

 crimp him by cutting to the bone on each 

 side, so as almost to divide him into slices; 

 and now hold him by the tail that he may 

 bleed. There is a small spring, I see, close 

 under that bank, which I dare say has the 

 mean temperature of the atmosphere in this 

 climate, and is much under 50° — place him 

 there, and let him remain for ten minutes, 

 and then carry him to the pot, and let the 

 water and salt boil furiously before you put 

 in a slice, and give time to the water to re- 

 cover its heat before you throw in another, 



