464 Fishes. 



of water, they spring up with, such a force through the 

 descending torrent, that they stem it till they reach the 

 higher bed of the stream ; and on this account small 

 cascades on the Tweed and other rivers are often 

 called Salmon-leaps. The Salmon is in a great measure 

 confined to the northern seas, being unknown in the 

 Mediterranean, and in the waters of other warm cli- 

 mates. The flesh is red when raw, rather paler when 

 salted or boiled ; it is an agreeable food, fat, tender, and 

 sweet, and excels in richness all other fresh-water fish : 

 however, it does not agree with every stomach, and is 

 often injurious when eaten by sick persons. 



In the river Tweed, about the month of July, the 

 capture of Salmon is astonishing : often a boat-load, and 

 sometimes nearly two, may be taken at a tide ; and in 

 one instance more than seven hundred fish were caught 

 at a single haul of the net. From fifty to a hundred at 

 a haul are very common. Some of these are sent to 

 London by the railway ; but part are slightly salted and 

 pickled, in which state they are called kipper. The 

 season for fishing commences in the Tweed in February, 

 and ends about old Michaelmas-day. On this river 

 there are about forty considerable fisheries, which ex- 

 tend upwards, about fourteen miles from the mouth; 

 besides many others of less consequence. These, se- 

 veral years ago, were let at an annual rent of more 

 than ten thousand pounds ; and to defray this expense, 

 it has been calculated that upwards of two hundred 

 thousand Salmon must be caught there, one year with 

 another. The principal Salmon fisheries in Europe are 

 in the rivers, or on the sea-coasts adjoining the large 

 rivers of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The chief 

 English rivers in which they are now caught are the 

 Tyne, the Trent, the Severn, and the Tweed. They 

 were formerly found in the Thames, but none have been 

 taken there for many years. The Salmon fry go down 

 the river to the sea in April. A young Salmon under 

 two pounds in weight is called a Salmon Peel, and a 

 larger one a Grilse. Salmon cannot be eaten too fresh, 

 and is very unwholesome when stale. 



