1 



the coast, beyond this point, without being more seen, 

 they find their way, undisturbed and uninterrupted, to 

 the ocean.* 



* Mr. James Sime, tenant at Wester Flisk, one of the per- 

 sons appointed to make the survey in the Tay, was examined 

 upon oath, as to the result. He swore, that having been 

 desired to select a person to make the survey along with 

 him, e he chose Stewart Shepherd, tenant at Balmerino, 

 ' as being the person, so far as the deponent knew, best qua- 

 ' lified, without any interest in the fishing, to assist in the pro- 

 ' posed survey.' And he afterwards depones, That ' the re- 

 ' suit of the survey is, that he has inspected the whole stake- 

 1 nets which are erected this season in the Tay ; and he. has 

 ' never found in any of them, either Salmon-fry or small Jlsh 

 ' of any kind, except a few flounders. 1 And with regard to the 

 progress of the fry towards the sea, he ' depones, That he has 



* been acquainted with Salmon-fry for twenty-seven years; 

 ' and, on the 28th of April last (1809), he saw a great quantity 

 ' drawn ashore at Stockgreen, by the nets used in the net and 

 ' coble Jishing, part of which were left on the bank, and part 

 ' went back into the river with the net Depones, That the 

 ' deponent and Shepherd never used the small meshed net a- 

 ' bove the mouth of the Earn, as the Salmon^fry mas visible 

 ' to the naked eye in the Tay a little above that spot ; and the 

 ' reason for using the small meshed net at Carpow was, because 

 ' the Salmon fry there ceased to be visible. Depones, That the 

 ' result of this survey is, that below Carpcw-Bank the deponent 

 ' and Shepherd found no Salmon-fry, although they fished the 



* river with the small meshed net, both in the eddy water and 

 1 in the stream. Depones, That during all the time he has 

 ' fished for spirlings, he has never found any Salmon-fry in 

 ' these spirling-nets, although the deponent believes that the 



E fry 



