MIGRATIONS. 117 



the king, as it may be called, of the river mi- 

 grators, the Salmon. In our own country this 

 noble fish is too high-priced to form a general 

 article of food, and may be reckoned amongst 

 the luxuries of the rich man's table; but in 

 others, especially amongst some of the North- 

 western American tribes, they are gifts of Pro- 

 vidence, which form their principal food at all 

 seasons. One, which Sir George Mackenzie 

 fell in with, in his journey from Canada to the 

 Pacific, were perfect Ichthyophagites, and would 

 touch no other animal food. These people con- 

 struct, with great labour and ingenuity, across 

 their streams, salmon weirs, which are formed 

 with timber and gravel, and elevated nearly four 

 feet above the level of the water ; beneath ma- 

 chines are placed, into which the salmon fall 

 when they attempt to leap over the weir. On 

 either side is a large frame of timber-work, six 

 feet above the level of the upper water, in which 

 passages are left for the salmon, leading into the 

 machines. When they catch their salmon they 

 string them and suspend them, at first, in the 

 river. The women are employed in preparing 

 and curing these fish ; for this purpose they ap- 

 pear to roast them first, and then suspend them 

 on the poles that run along the beams of their 

 houses, in which there are usually from three to 

 five hearths, the heat and smoke from which 

 contribute, no doubt, to their proper curing. 



