OBSTRUCTIONS TO THE ASCENT OP FISH IN RIVERS. 625 



Four miles south of Piatt sburgh, a small stream, twenty to thirty miles 

 long-, called Salmon River, debouches iuto the lake, deriving its name 

 from the abundance of salmon formerly caught there. This river has 

 upon it a series of dams, almost innumerable. These are so high and in 

 such close proximity to each other that there is no practicability in intro- 

 ducing salmon or any other of the migratory iishes. From an early day 

 to within a few years, it has been largely used as a manufacturing stream, 

 but an apparent decrease in the quantity of water indicates that it will 

 not continue to aftbrd the manufacturing facilities heretofore enjoyed. 



I noticed several high dams that were going to decay, and which I am 

 told will never be rebuilt. Should the tiaie arrive when the stream will 

 be free from these dams, or to such a degree that fish- ways would be prac- 

 ticable, I know no reasson why the stream may not again be stocked with 

 the valuable fish from which it derives its name. A Mr. Jones, living 

 upon the bank of the river four miles from its mouth, informed me that 

 so plenty were the salmon in an early day that a twenry-pounder could 

 be bought for a "plug of tobacco;" that when a boy he saw his father 

 take a one-horse load of salmon from the stream in the morning before 

 breakfast, with no other implement than a common "pitchfork." 



The next rivers in order of inspection were the Little and Big Chazy, 

 the former of which I did uot examine very closely, as it was never 

 much of a salmon river, and is now obstructed with high, impassable 

 dams. Of the Big Chazy, emptying into the lake two miles south of 

 Rouse's Potnt, I made a thorough inspection, and think it the best river 

 on the west side of the lake in which to begin experiments. 



This river was the only one marked by Champlaiu on his discovery 

 of the lake as in any way noted for its salmon-lishery. At or near where 

 is now located the village of Champlain, he noted on his chart of the 

 lake, "Salmon-Fisheries," it being doubtless the place where their great- 

 est numbers were found. This river is navigable five miles from its 

 mouth; and, although there are a great number of dams above this 

 point, they are so low that they could be easily overcome by the salmon 

 in their ascent of the river. 



It is within the recollection of some of the older inhabitants on this 

 river when the salmon ceased their annual visits to the Chazy ; and it 

 is their opinion that it was neither dams, sawdust, or other obstrnctions 

 in the river that caused them to forsake it, but that the last fish coming 

 into the river was caught. 



From the Chazy I proceeded to St. John's, Province of Quebec, for 

 the inspection of the Richelieu. 



The Richelieu River proper begins here, although many ascribe its 

 source at or near a point between the United States and Canada, by 

 reason of the lake contracting itself into a channel uot much wider than 

 a large river; yet I think it must be conceded that the river commences 

 at St. John's, twenty-three miles farther north of the line between the 

 two countries. My reasons for this opinion are that at St. John's the 

 S. Mis. 71 40 



