SOCIETIES OF LONDON AND THE PROVINCES. 7 



satisfaction, that he was a very lucky dog indeed to be 

 able to get such a skinful of good old ale with so little real 

 trouble. 



But the injury done to the fisheries of a river in such a 

 case — and examples of it are now happily almost extinct — 

 is increased a millionfold every year by that wrought by 

 the terrible rate at which traffic up and down the stream 

 is permitted. I have seen, for instance, the wave raised 

 by a fast launch or heavy steam-tug rushing along the 

 bank nearly a yard high, sweep up some little inland bay 

 where the water perhaps shallowed from a foot or so 

 at its mouth to only a few inches in depth in its interior. 

 That little bay, and all such like it, is full to this day, I 

 hope, of tiny mites of baby fish. I have seen, as I have 

 said, the wave sweep across it, and as it receded it left 

 hundreds, possibly thousands, of little fish to die amongst 

 the pebbles and rank grass growing along the shore. Talk 

 about the destruction effected by a pair of otters, talk 

 about the war waged by the idle village lout upon the 

 finny inhabitants of a river — why, the argument falls fiat 

 and becomes both baseless and ridiculous as opposed to 

 the terrible havoc wreaked by these puffing pests, deter- 

 mined enemies as they are to good sport, peace, and 

 quietude. 



It may be in the recollection of some few of the readers 

 of this little book that I have for years waged war, with 

 both voice and pen, for the suppression of what I cannot 

 help seeing is the chief enemy to the fisheries of the 

 river. My work has borne at least some little fruit, inas- 

 much as a Bill for the better regulation of steam traffic upon 

 the river has gone through a select Committee of the Com- 

 mons, and is now before the House of Lords ; and all good 

 anglers will, I am convinced, say amen to my prayer for its 



