CHAP. vir. THE FOURTH DAY. 103 



Forced by the rising rocks that there her course oppose, 

 As though within her bounds they meant her to inclose ; 

 Here, when the labouring fish does at the foot arrive, 

 And finds that by his strength he does but vainly strive, 

 His tail takes in his mouth, and, bending like a bow, 

 That's to full compass drawn, aloft himself doth throw; 

 Then springing at his height, as doth a little warid 

 That, bended end to end, and started from man's hand, 

 Far oft itself doth cast ; so does the salmon vault : 

 And if at first he fail, his second summersault 

 He instantly essays; and from his nimble ring, 

 Still yerking, never leaves until himself he fling 

 Above the opposing stream " 



This Michael Drayfrmjflls ynn nf thh Imp nr mimmrrnnnlt of 

 the salmon. 



And next I shall tell you, that it is observed by Gesner and 

 others, that there is no better salmon than in England ; and 

 that though some of our northern counties have as fat and as 

 large as the river Thames, yet none are of so excellent a taste. 



And as I have told you that Sir Francis Bacon observes, the 

 age of a salmon exceeds not ten years ; so let me next tell you, 

 that his growth is very sudden : it is said, that after he is got 

 into the sea, he becomes from a samlet not so big as a gudgeon, 

 to be a salmon, in as short a time as a gosling becomes to be a 

 goose. Much of this has been observed by tying a ribbon, or 

 some known tape or thread, in the tail of some young salmons, 

 which have been taken in weirs as they have swimmed towards 

 the salt water, and then by taking a part of them again with the 

 known mark at the same place at their return from the sea, 

 which is usually about six months after; and the like experi- 

 ment hath been tried upon young swallows, who have, after six 

 months' absence, been observed to return to the same chimney, 

 there to make their nests and habitations for the summer 

 following: which has inclined many to think, that every salmon 

 usually returns to the same river in which it was bred, as young 

 pigeons taken out of the same dovecote have also been 

 observed to do. 



