71 THE ADVENTURES 



and motionless; the fatal gaff hook is slipped 

 quietly under him, struck suddenly into his side, 

 and in a moment he is flapping away his ex- 

 istence in the green meadow, to be either dried 

 for red salmon in the cottager's chimney, or sold 

 for threehalfpence a poiiod to some neighbouring 

 farmer. 



But we have already declared that we do not 

 profess to write the life of our salmon ; and here 

 we shall for the present take our leave of him, 

 reserving to ourselves the privilege of again, at 

 some future day, recurring to his adventures, 

 should we feel so disposed, and permitting our 

 readers to remain in doubt as to his final destiny 

 how long, and how often he is.to return to his 

 native river. 



If we have only made more apparent the 

 numberless dangers that peril every day of his 

 existence if we have awakened a larger share 

 of interest in his fate if we have shewn how 

 necessary it is for us to exert the powers the 

 law has provided, in order to rescue his princely 

 species from absolute extermination, and how 

 desirable it is that the means taken should be 

 rendered effective by general and universal sup- 

 port our end will have been answered. 



We are too well aware how much the better 

 preservation of the Eiver Dee is prevented by 



