THE COMPLETE ANGLER 131 



As he tow'rds season grows, and stems the wat'ry tract 

 Where Tivy falling down, makes a high cataract, 

 Forced by the rising rocks that there her course oppose, 

 As though within her bounds they meant her to inclose ; 

 Here, when the labouring fish does at the foot arrive, 

 And finds that by his strength he does but vainly strive,. 

 His tail takes in his mouth,* and, bending like a bow 

 That's to full compass drawn, aloft himself doth throw ; 

 Then springing at his height, as doth a little wand 

 That, bended end to end, and started from man's hand, 

 Far off itself doth cast ; so does the salmon vault : 

 And if at first he fail, his second summersault 

 He instantly essays ; and from his nimble ring, 

 Still yerking, never leaves until himself he fling 

 Above the opposing stream 



This Michael Drayton tells you of this leap or summer- 

 sault of the salmon. 



And next I shall tell you, that it is observed by Gesner 

 and others, that there is no better salmon than in England ; 

 and that though some of our northern counties have 

 as fat and as large as the River Thames, yet none are 

 of so excellent a taste. 



And as I have told you that Sir Francis Bacon observes, 

 the age of a salmon exceeds not ten years ; so let me 

 next tell you, that his growth is very sudden : it is said, 

 that after he is got into the sea, he becomes from a 

 samlet, not so big as a gudgeon, to be a salmon, in as 

 short a time as a gosling becomes to be a goose. Much 

 of this has been observed by tying a ribbon, or some 

 known tape or thread, in the tail of some young salmons, 

 which have been taken in weirs as they have swimmed 



* The salmon never curves itself, or puts its tail in its mouth for 

 the purpose of jumping from the water. It is by means of its fins 

 that it throws itself from the water. It cannot jump perpendicu- 

 larly to the height of eight feet, but may, probably, if there be 

 s iflicient depth of water, jump six feet. In shallow water not half 

 that distance. Its spring to surmount cascades or weirs is not 

 perpendicular not an upright standing leap but, as it were, a 

 running jump forwards, gradually attaining, in extreme instances, 

 a height of six feet. E. 



