THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 351 



but ftraight. The back is of a dark blue, fpotted with black : x ?79- 



° _ _ , , ,., r * October. 



in other reipects they are much like our common falmon. 

 They afcend the river with extraordinary velocity, infomuch 

 that the water is fenfibly agitated by their motion ; and the 

 Kamtfchadales, who are always on the watch for them 

 about the time they are expected, judge of their approach by 

 this circumflance, and immediately let drop their nets be- 

 fore them. We were prefented with one of the firfl that was 

 caught, and given to underftand that it was the greateft 

 compliment that could be paid us. Krafcheninicoff relates, 

 that formerly the Kamtfchadales made a point of eating the 

 firfl fifh they took, with great rejoicings, and a variety of 

 fuperftitious ceremonies; and that after the Ruffians be- 

 came their mailers, it was for a long time a conltant fub- 

 je<5t of quarrel between them, to whom the firfl: fhould be- 

 long. The feafon for fifhing, for this fpecies, lalls from the 

 middle of May till the end of June. 



The other fort is of a fmaller kind, weighing only from 

 eight to fixteen pounds ; they are known by the general 

 name of the red filh, and begin to collet in the bays, and 

 at the mouths of the rivers, the beginning of June ; from 

 which time, till the end of September, they are caught in 

 great quantities both upon the Eaftern and Wellern coafl* . 

 where any frelli water falls into the fea, and likewife all 

 along the courfe of the rivers, to their very fource. The 

 manner in which they draw their nets within the bay of 

 Awatfka, is as follows : They tie one end of the net to a 

 large flone at the water's edge, they then puih off in a ca- 

 noe about twenty yards in a right line, dropping their net 

 as they advance, after which they turn and run out the re- 

 mainder of the net in a line parallel to the fliore j in this 



pofition 



