NORTHERN MEMOIRS. 133 



profitable returns from the hills, by the High- 

 lander. The Firth runs here that washeth and 

 melts the foundations of the city, but relieves 

 the country with her plenty of salmon ; where 

 the burgo-masters (as in many other parts of 

 Scotland) are compelPd to reinforce an ancient 

 statute, that commands all masters and others, 

 not to force or compel any servant, or an ap- 

 prentice, to feed upon salmon more than thrice 

 a week. 



Tlieoph. Is there such a law in force now ? 



Am. Yes sure, for ought I know it remains 

 to this day : and the reason of it is, as I conceive, 

 from the plenty of salmon in these northern parts, 

 that should the inhabitants daily feed upon them, 

 they would inevitably endanger their health, if 

 not their lives, by surfeiting ; for the abundance 

 of salmon hereabouts in these parts, is hardly to 

 be credited. And the reader I fancy will be of 

 my perswasion, when he comes to consider that 

 the price of a salmon formerly exceeded the va- 

 lue of sixpence sterling, which I suppose no 

 English man will grudg, nor think it unreason- 

 able to give at any time ; so that the danger, in 

 my opinion, lies most in the diet : for as salmon 

 is a fish very apt to surfeit, more especially fresh 

 salmon, when only boiled ; which if too frequent- 

 ly fed on, relaxes the belly, and makes the pas* 



