110 SALMON RIVERS OF ENGLAND AND WALES. 



sonable to assume that the English rivers may become 

 equally productive with similar laws and appliances. 

 By calculation we find that the river Shannon contains 

 an area of 7200 square miles, and produces salmon of 

 the annual value of 80,000. The river at Waterford 

 contains an area of 4000 square miles, and produces sal- 

 mon of the annual value of 40,000. Then I will take 

 two Scotch rivers. The river Spey produces an annual 

 income of more than 12,000, and it contains an area of 

 about 1050 square miles. The river Tay contains an 

 area of 2800 square miles, and produces salmon which 

 I estimate at the annual value of 30,000, the fishery- 

 rents this year having increased to 14,000. The river 

 Ouse and its tributaries contain an area of 2400 square 

 miles, and probably produce salmon of an annual value 

 of 400, the rent being 122, 15s. Od." 



When we know that the annual value of all the Eng- 

 lish salmon- rivers is three times less than a single 

 Scotch river, the Tay, we cannot but wonder. If we 

 inquire how this has been brought about, the cause is 

 obvious. As if it were impossible to exterminate the 

 noble salmon, we learn from the Keport of the Eoyal 

 Commissioners that it is cruelly and senselessly perse- 

 cuted in every stage of its too short life. Under the 

 names of " last spring/' " penk," " samlet," the salmon- 

 fry, when about to descend to the sea, are slaughtered 

 in myriads by anglers, who sell them at sixpence a- 

 pound to hotel-keepers, who are thus enabled to respond 

 favourably to the tourist's query, " Waiter, have you 

 any samlets for breakfast?" At a small inn near St 

 Asaph four men were accidentally seen seated at a 

 table, with a tray before them, piled up eighteen inches 

 with salmon-fry, which they had caught with a net, 

 and which they were expertly gutting and trimming, as 

 the first step in the process of conversion into " potted 

 char " for the Liverpool market ! A still more frightful 

 destruction is indicated by credible witnesses declaring 

 that they know instances of bushels of salmon-fry given 



