DESTRUCTION OF SALMON. 137 



that they have but little chance of keeping up their 

 numbers. From one end of Scotland to the other along the 

 whole extent of the coast, these destructive nets are fixed at 

 every convenient place. Near the mouth of every stream, 

 large or small, they are to be seen, and immense must be the 

 number of fish taken to repay the expense of keeping them 

 up, and renewing the stakes, netting, &c , every spring, and 

 frequently also after severe storms. Near the little stream 

 of Nairn there are no less than three of these nets, and as 

 many more between that point and the Find horn, all of 

 which are exposed to a heavy sea, which must make the 

 expense of keeping them in repair very great. 



On the bar, which is a kind of island, there is a solitary 

 hut, where two or three fishermen pass the spring and sum- 

 mer. In the latter end of winter, when I have been wild- 

 fowl shooting in that direction, I have often gone in to screen 

 myself from the cold. During the absence of the fishermen 

 the hut is tenanted by rabbits, who make themselves quite 

 at home, digging holes in the turf walls, &c. The life of the 

 fishermen in this place must be like that of a lighthouse- 

 keeper. During high tides they are quite cut off from the 

 mainland, and although at low water their place of abode is 

 no longer an island, yet that part of the shore opposite the 

 bar is a kind of wilderness little frequented by anyone, being 

 at a long distance from any road or path, with an extensive 

 tract of rough and all but impassable country extending in 

 every direction. It is, however, a favourite resort of mine, 

 being the undisturbed abode of many wild animals. The 

 roebuck and blackcock live in tolerable security there, and 

 would increase to a very great extent were their young ones 

 not killed by foxes and other vermin, who prowl about with- 

 out danger of trap or poison. 



I had heard that the lochs here called Loch Lee had no 

 fish in them of any kind ; but seeing the numerous tracks of 

 otters, and also the cormorants frequently fishing in them, 

 I determined to ascertain what these animals came for ; being 

 pretty sure that some kind of fish must be the attraction. 

 Accordingly having made a long "set line" i.e. some two 

 hundreds yards of line with strong hooks at intervals of four 

 or five yards, I set it, as far as it would reach, across one 

 part of the largest lake, baiting the hooks with small trout 

 and worms. The next morning on examining the line I 

 found a great number of large eels on the hooks, several of 



