940 KEPOKT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



thermometer recorded an average of 110° in the shade, and about 130° 

 in the sun, where most of the work was going on. This was too trying 

 for the hardiest of our party, and brought them down one after another, 

 till almost our entire camp was converted into a hospital. It was so 

 hot, that in some parts of California birds dropped down dead from the 

 trees and men and horses fell dead in the fields, and it was no wonder 

 that our men could not remain at their work in the sun beyond a limited 

 space at a time, or that nine succeSvSive days of this heat put us all on 

 the sick-list. No lasting injury was sustained by any one at the fishery 

 on account of the heat, but the temporary sickness and delay it caused 

 put back our plans somewhat, and made it necessary to push the work 

 the more vigorously when good working days returned. 



With the exception, however, of this drawback, occasioned by the 

 heat, things progressed very favorably, and by the time the salmon 

 were ready to spawn the bridge and dam were completed, the wheel 

 was pumping up the water very vigorously, the hatching-house was 

 ready, the roads were put in order for the wagons, the large corral for 

 the spawners was finished, the spawning-shanty erected, and everything 

 ready for the salmon. 



It was a very peculiar circumstance, which ought not to pass without 

 mention, that the salmon spawned ten days earlier than they did the 

 year before. The moon was also ten days earlier than it was last year. 

 This opens the subject which scientists scoff at so much in thejie days, 

 concerning the influence of the moon on terrestrial affairs. Without 

 expressing an opinion on the subject here, I will merely say that from 

 the time of our first arrival on the McCloud the Indians have uniformly 

 said that the salmon would begin spawning with the September moon, 

 and thus far the salmon invariably have. 



D— TAKING THE SALMON EGGS. ^^ 



The first eggs were taken on the 22d of August. They came on very 

 slowly at first; so slowly, indeed, that we began to fear that we should 

 not do more than half a season's work. There were also less fish than 

 usual in the seining-hole below the dam, which added to our discourage- 

 ment. Our fears, however, proved entirely groundless; for although 

 there were less fish to start with than in previous years, they kept com- 

 ing up the river steadily every day, and constantly renewed their num- 

 bers, so that it was no matter how many we took out on any stated day, 

 there were always as many or more on the fishing-ground the next day. 

 This constant renewing of the supply continued even till we stopped 

 taking the eggs, and I think if it had been necessary we could have 

 taken a third more than we did. 



I have adopted the practice now of offering the men a reward, if, in 

 taking the salmon eggs, they will in any one day beat the best day's 

 work done the year before. The reward was offered this year as usual, 

 and I selected the 4th of September as the time for " putting in their 



