Prince. — Why Do Salmon Ascend from the Sea? 131 



hump-back and dog salmon of the Pacific coast may be on the 

 spawning grounds within twenty-four hours, such grounds being 

 creeks and shallow streams, or other areas, frequently a very short 

 distance from salt-water. 



The earliest schools of Fraser River Sockeyes entering in June, 

 were found to arrive in the upper waters, the tributaries of the 

 Fraser, Stuart, Quesnelle, and other lakes, late in August or early 

 in September, thus occupying eight or ten weeks in the ascent, 

 while in the giant Yukon river, the spring salmon or Quinnat, 

 usually called King Salmon at Dawson, takes five or six months in 

 ascending the 1200 miles necessary to be traversed in the migration 

 from the estuary to the upper waters in the Yukon Territory. 

 These Yukon fish must travel at the rate of ten miles per day, 

 though some of the ascent is accomplished by spurts. Livingston 

 Stone estimated the rate in the Sacramento river at two miles 

 per day, and in the Columbia river at three miles per day; but 

 some observations on Atlantic salmon indicate a greater speed. 

 The claim that a salmon may cover forty miles of ascent in a 

 day does not seem to be usually confirmed, though John Mowat 

 wrote nearly forty years ago: "I have taken two salmon thirty 

 miles up the Restigouche with undigested caplin in their stomachs. 

 These caplin must have been seized thirty miles below the head of 

 tide as caplin will not enter brackish water. * * * I have an 

 idea," Mr. Mowat added, "that these Salmon were not more 

 then twelve hours running up this sixty miles." 



Salmon Overcome Grave Obstacles. 



As I have watched, during many seasons, the hordes beyond 

 computation of Sockeye salmon passing up the Fraser river, the 

 Skeena, the Naas, Rivers Inlet, and other well-known British 

 Columbia rivers, I have often asked myself why it was that the 

 fish did not choose some nearer and more readily accessible spawn- 

 ing grounds. There are numberless suitable areas within 30, 50, 

 or 100 miles; why should the salmon make long journeys of 300, 

 500, or more miles, in order to reach the tributaries of Quesnelle, 

 or Fraser, or Stuart, or Oweekayno (Rivers Inlet), or Babine 

 (Skeena river) Lakes. Every mile presents new perils; and 

 frightful canyons, rapids, like torrents; falls that involve tremen- 

 dous leaping efforts ; and groups of marauding bears waiting along 



