THE FISHERIES. 19 



in packs; and as they roll over the surface, their 

 operations can be seen ; neither is there the least 

 doubt as to their depredations, or that salmon is their 

 prey. Whenever porpoises are seen, fishermen know 

 that salmon are not far off ; and often, when taken 

 and opened, they are found surfeited with this dainty 

 food ; the universal law amongst fishes is, to eat, and 

 be eaten; but we should not facilitate the destruction 

 of the useful sorts : let us see however what has the 

 Act of 1842, done for the porpoise : we much suspect 

 he would be very averse to its repeal ; if he could 

 be heard by counsel against the Bill, his case would 

 be this — he keeps out in the deep, and never ventures 

 into shallow water ; the salmon, on the contrary, in- 

 variably hugs the shore, and avoids the deep. In 

 his course along the shore, the salmon will traverse 

 the innermost recesses of a bay (though there be no 

 river flowing into it), and will prolong his journey 

 twenty miles round the bay, rather than cross the 

 mouth of it between headlands : this is the salmon's 

 security ; he keeps close to the shore ; but stay, in 

 his course he stumbles against the leader of a bag- 

 net, extended across his path : turned off by the 

 leader into deep water, the porpoise comes at him, 

 and the chase begins, and thus this process is kept 

 up, all along the shore, or up the estuary, wherever 

 these fixed engines are extended. The most casual 

 inspection of these occurrences, or the slightest know- 

 ledge of the habits of the porpoise, will be sufficient 

 to show the advantage he derives from the aid of the 



