OBSTRUCTIOX.S TO THE ASCEXT OF FISH IX RIVERS. b26 



an early day as far as the falls at Ver^'eaues, altliaii.:^li uot ia such abaad- 

 ance as iu the rivers farther uorth, this beiug the most southerly river, 

 formerly inhabited by the salmon, on the lake. 



The knowledge of their once having been iu the river is traditional, as 

 I know of no writers iu later or earlier timas who have made a record of 

 the fact. "What information I obtained with regard to this river was from 

 persons who had heard their grandfathers' stories about catchiug salmon 

 iu the Otter Creekbelow its falls. The present condition of the riveroffers 

 no very promising inducements for beginning the experiment of restock- 

 ing the same with salmon ; yet, with a suitable fish-way over the falls, 

 favorable results might follow the experiment, as the character of the 

 water is such as to warrant a belief that much might be accomplished in 

 this direction. From this point of observation, I journeyed northward to 

 the Boquet Eiver, which empties into the lake nearly opi)Osite the city of 

 Burlington, Vt. This river rises iu the Adirondack Mountains of Xew 

 York, in the f;imous John Brown tract. It flows northeasterly, through 

 a mountainous region, until it reaches Willsborough, where is situated 

 a high natural fcill. From this point three miles from the lake, the river 

 is navigable for the largest vessels, and it is said that in former times 

 it was largely inhabited by the salmon.* 



There is a small stream emptying into the river at Willsborough, called 

 Willsborough Brook, rising in the north part of the township, in Rat- 

 tlesnake Pond, -which would doubtless be a good stream for the introduc- 

 tion of salmon. 



It is doubtful whether the salmon, in an early day, ever got up the 

 main river beyond the falls at Willsborough; but, that they found their 

 spawning-beds and special haunts below the falls in small brooks, 

 coves, and Inlets, which are very numerous, we have safdcient evidence 

 to believe. It is told, however, that salmon formerly ascended the falls, 

 and got a long distance up the river into the interior. If it were not 

 for the dams and falls, which are quite numerous, the river might be 

 restocked with the salmon. Tliis difficulty could be easily overcome in 

 the erection of suitable fish -ways. 



The next place visited was the Winooski Eiver in Ttrmont, which 

 empties into the lake at about 44" 30' uorth latitude. The Winooski (for- 

 merly Onion River) was once a fine salmon-stream, and has its source far 

 back in the mountains of the State. About five miles from its mouth is 

 situated a natural fall, over which the salmon formerly passed, and took 

 a long journey into the interior. It is said that in an early day salmon 

 were caught in large quantities at the foot of these falls; and that for 

 days and weeks together they would be found iu great abundance at 

 this point, and at night scale the heights. 



The Winooski is fed by numerous small brooks and rivulets, which 

 afford nice fields for the growth of this delicious fish. But for this nat- 

 ural fall, which is now surmounted by a high dam, the stream might 



* See Watson's History of Essex Couuty, Now York. Albauy, 1569. pp. o.'il, 352. 



