SCOTTISH WHITE FISHERIES. 349 



and boys. They return in Auguft, and fend their car- 

 goes, with falmon, to Spain, Portugal, the Mediter- 

 ranean, and London. ^ 



SALMON. Scotland, from its northern fituation, 

 its gravelly bottomed rivers, and numerous lakes, 

 pofTefles many excellent falmon filheries. Its iflands 

 alfo abound in falmon and trout. 



The fifheries have, however, greatly fallen off 

 during the laft 20 years, for which fome perfons 

 have attempted to afiign a reafon, as the watering 

 or foaking of flax, the increafe of bleacheries, tan- 

 neries, and other manufactures by which the rivers 

 are more or lefs affefted. Thefe arguments, though 

 plaufible, are not conclufive; the failure of the 

 fifheries is not confined to the feats of manufactures 

 only ; it is equally felt in many parts of the High- 

 lands where the rivers retain their original purity. 



To this natural misfortune, for which we can 

 aflign no caufe, tlie laws have of late years permitted 

 an artificial one, by allowing curves to be placed at 

 the mouths of rivers and lakes ; which in fome wa- 

 ters have almoft totally deftroyed the fifhery, and the 

 natives are thus deprived of their natural right, by 

 overgrown monopolizers, with whom the former 

 cannot enter into competition. 



The great fifheries, are thofe of 



The Tweed an open fifhery, 



The Forth a curve above Stirling, 



The Tay open, 



The Dee ditto, 



The Don ditto, 



The Devron ditto, 



The Spey curves at its mouth, 



Findhorn open, 



The Nefs curves, and the inhabitants of Inver- 

 nefs denied the ufe of falmon, 



The Beaulie ditto ditto, 



From thence northward to Dungfbay head, 



The 



