30 PLEASURES OF ANGLING. 



of Charlemagne until now, have decreed should le 

 had come to pass, the millenium would have been 

 at least as old as our republic, and government de- 

 faulters and lecherous scandal-mongers would have 

 been as scarce as chub in a salmon pool. But, un- 

 fortunately, only a beggarly moiety of what was 

 promised ever found embodiment in performance, 

 and most of what was attempted, looking to the 

 amelioration and elevation of the race, was prose- 

 cuted so feebly with so little of the essential 

 element of thoroughness that the devil has sel- 

 dom had occasion to thrust out his cloven foot to 

 stop the car of progress. 



By which digression I simply mean to say, that 

 when the Provincial authorities determined to pre- 

 serve their salmon fisheries, they determined to 

 make thorough work of it to replenish as well 

 as to preserve not only to guard what came to 

 them in a natural way, but to avail themselves of 

 all the artificial processes which practical science 

 had developed. Hence, besides fish commissioners 

 and fish wardens and a fish police, they recognize 

 and employ fish breeders men of experience, in- 

 telligence and integrity (alas! what a rarity) to 

 whom they give carte blanche (as unrestricted as 

 that given to Adam) to go forth and replenish the 

 waters with this king of fish and rarest morsel that 

 ever melted on a gourmand's palate. 



