11 



Salmon conld not have been sent in a fresh state to any 

 distant place. But now, with its aid, the fishers were 

 enabled to preserve the Salmon fresh as they came from 

 the sea, and the advantages were spread all over the na- 

 tion. And, in consequence, a great additional tonnage of 

 shipping was constantly employed, during the summer 

 months, in carrying the Salmon, packed in ice, to the dif- 

 ferent markets in the kingdom. 



It seemed, in short, as if a new source of wealth had 

 opened up. And while proprietors found that their fish- 

 eries were, in many instances, nearly as valuable as their 

 lands, a considerable number of individuals found em- 

 ployment as fishermen, seamen, &c. &c., and wealth was 

 rapidly acquired by all concerned with the fisheries. 



Nor was this state of matters confined to the Tay. 

 The use of stake-nets gradually extended into other 

 friths, particularly in the north. And although, from 

 the want of knowledge and experience, the success, at 

 first, was not quite equal to that which attended the fish- 

 eries on the Tay, yet, everywhere, the produce was be- 

 yond all former experience. 



So striking and universal was this result, that the 

 upper heritors) >the proprietors of the old river fisheries, 

 became alarmed. The new mode of fishing was, ge- 

 nerally speaking, altogether unsuited for their stations, 

 and threatened with destruction that MONOPOLY which 

 they had so long, and so injuriously for the public, been 

 permitted to enjoy. Accordingly, first, in the Tay, and, 

 afterwards, in other rivers, these proprietors used every 

 effort to put an end to the new mode of fishing which had 

 been adopted in the friths. They asserted, that so tre- 

 mendous a capture of Salmon could not be made without 

 the most pernicious consequences. They complained that 



