SALMON LAKE. 187 



In the evening, Mead told me that next day 

 would be spent at his salmon lake. 



"You^ll see such fishing/' said he, "as you'll 

 remember to your dying day. I must tell you that 

 I'm a kind of fish-merchant, and deal with New 

 York, Albany, and even Boston. My fishery is a 

 very good one, and clears me a good thousand pounds 

 sterling per annum. That's why I bought Wood- 

 cock House. It was shockingly out of repair when 

 I first came to live in it ; but I've a good nose, and 

 pretty soon reckoned up the possibilities," 



Mead then explained to me the nature of his 

 business in detail. He bred and collected salmon 

 and salmon trout, just as others breed horses and 

 rabbits. He had contracts with some of the prin- 

 cipal hotels in New York, and some of the larger 

 fishmongers in difi'erent parts of the country. His 

 lakes, ponds, and rivers were managed according to 

 a regular plan. Among other advantages, he had 

 but few neighbours, and his property was in the 

 midst of the Catskill Mountains. 



Next day he had to supply a certain number of 

 salmon for New York, and to make up the order 

 great activity would be necessary. For the past few 

 days his men had been busily engaged in driving 

 the fish into a certain corner of the lake. The 

 foreman fisherman came that evening to make his 

 report, which was to the eff'ect that the fish were 

 literally swarming in Mount-top Lake ; and next 



