THE HUDSON RIVER AS A SALMON STREAM. 



BY A. NELSON CHENEY, 

 State Fish-Culturist, New York Fisheries, Game, and Forest Commission. 



During the past twenty-five years to ray personal knowledge, and probably for a 

 longer period, there have appeared in various publications, from time to time, articles 

 describing the Hudson Biver as an original salmon stream. Some have merely made 

 the broad statement that the river once contained Salmo salar, and others in more 

 explicit language have described the great quantities of salmon that once inhabited 

 the stream, and deplored the fact that they had become extinct in the river. Almost 

 without exception the sole foundation for the statement that the Hudson was once a 

 natural salmon river rests upon an extract from the log of Henry Hudson, of the 

 Hal/moon, who records that in 1609 he saw a "great store of salmons in the river" 

 which now bears his name. 



Within the past fifteen years a gentleman wrote to a newspaper published in a 

 city on the,bank of the Hudson declaring that his grandfather formerly caught large 

 numbers of salmon in the Hudson, and for this reason it was a proper water to be 

 restocked with the king of fresh- water fishes. 



That old, old story, which originated in England or Scotland one or two hundred 

 years ago, that apprentices arid servants provided, when indentured to their masters, 

 that they should not be required to eat salmon oftener than twice a week, has been 

 transplanted to the banks of the Connecticut and has even been applied to the 

 Hudson and its alleged salmon. 



Nevertheless I maintain, and will show in this paper as I believe, conclusively 

 that the Hudson was not originally a salmon stream, and that no salmon were ever 

 found in it except possibly an estray from the Connecticut, until planted by the United 

 States Fish Commission and the Fisheries Commission of the State of New York. 



As to Hudson's declaration, or to be exact the declaration of Kobert Juet, the 

 master's mate of the Half moon, for he it was who wrote the journal under date of 

 September 3, 1609, he writes: "So wee weighed and went in and rode in five fathoms, 

 oze ground, and saw many Salmons, and Mullets and Kays very great. The hight is 

 40 degrees 30 minutes." 



Under date of the 15th: "Wee ran up into the river, twentie leagues, passing by 

 high mountains. Wee had a very good depth as thirteene fathoms, and great store 

 of salmons in the river." A boat was sent out and with a net "ten great mullets of a 

 foot and a half long apiece, and a ray as great as four men could hale into the ship" 

 were taken. 



