** Philadelphia. 229 



morning, they caught as many as a horfe was 

 able to carry home. But at prefent things are 

 greatly altered ; and they often work in vain all 

 the night long, with all their fifliing tackle. The 

 caufes of this .decreafe of fifh, are partly the fame 

 with thofe of the diminution of the number of 

 birds ; being of late caught by a greater variety 

 of contrivances, and in different manners than be- 

 fore. The numerous mills on the rivers and 

 brooks likewife contribute to it in part : for it 

 has been obferved here, that the fifh go up the 

 river in order to fpawn in a (hallow water; but 

 when they meet with works that prevent their 

 proceeding, they turn back, and never come 

 again. Of this I was affured by a man of for- 

 tune at Eofton : his father was ufed to catch a 

 number of herrings throughout the winter, and 

 almoft always in fummer, in a river, upon his 

 country feat: but he having built a mill with a 

 dyke in this water, they were loft. In this man- 

 ner they complained here and every where of the 

 decreafe of fifh. Old people aflerted the fame 

 in regard to oyfters at New Tork; for though 

 they are flill taken in confiderable quantity, and 

 are as big and as delicious as can be wifhed, yet all 

 the oyfter-catchers own, that the number dimi- 

 nifhes greatly every year : the moft natural caufe 

 of it, is probably the immoderate catching of 

 them at all times of the year. 



MR. FRANKLIN told me, that in that part of 

 New England where his father lived, two rivers 

 fell into^the lea, in one of which they caught 

 great numbers of herrings, and in the other not 

 Yet the places where thefe rivers difcharged 



3 them- 



