S A L M N R I V E R S. 637 



■water -where the river spreads out in a circular form. It is called the 

 "Basin." Stopped to get a drink near the head of the Basin, where a 

 spring branch trickles in over the white gravel, and found a large school 

 of Sea Trout collected there. Cast my salmon-fly over them and lifted out 

 a dozen ; but as this was not angling, wound up my line, resumed my 

 journey, and went paddling through the gorge. When I reached Rock 

 Pool, found one of the anglers fast to a fresh-run fish of ten pounds. Dined 

 with my new friends. The Englishman, according to his own account an 

 old Salmon-fisher, has killed seven Salmon in some river in Scotland (I 

 think the Findhorn) in a single afternoon — a feat never before accom- 

 plished on that stream. Has shooting privileges for moorfowl (?) on the 

 Derbyshire Hills. He said nothing about "fox 'unting" — from his build 

 I should not think he would " be in at the death," or that he is good on a 

 tramp in a day's shooting. After dinner was invited by Scotchmaji to go 

 up to Falls Pool and take a cast ; fished up stream from bottom of pool ; 

 water terribly rapid and glassy ; rose a Salmon, but did not hook him. 

 Took this opportunity of deploring my want of sport below, and intimated 

 to my new friend that I would like him — as fish appeared abundant — to 

 take a third rod for a few days. He consulted with his companion when 

 we reached camp, and agreed to it, as I had given up the Grand Falls* 

 station on his account. Saw him kill a fish ; he says, although a Scotch- 

 man, he never fished for Salmon before ; he casts a fly, though, and han- 

 dles his fish as if "native and to the manner born." Sent men down 

 with canoe to bring up tent, stores, &c., from Chain of Rocks. Pitched 

 my tent at the lower camp, twenty yards below R. and A., and near the 

 spring. 



Sunday. Jidy 12th. — Rods all laid by to-day. In the afternoon walked 

 up to the falls. From above we could see Salmon leaping against the 

 fall ; saw a dead bear floating in the eddy below. The canoemen suppose 

 that in crossing too near one of the falls above the main jjitch, it could 

 not stem the rapid, and was carried down. We found it in the cove below 

 the camp, the same afternoon. R. cut off its claws to take to Scotland. I 

 plucked some of its wool for dubbing. Enjoyed my English friend much 

 to-day. The little man pitches into the Yankees terribly. He has large 

 cotton-spinning mills at Manchester. Our war has cut ofi" his supply of 

 cotton ; his mills are closed, and the interest on his firm's investment 

 amounts to ten thousand pounds sterling per annum. Says England and 



* A description of this station can be found on page 396. I omit it here. 



