296 Reminiscences of 



ttinate or not. as it may prove, if it escapes the seines 

 and revolving catch wheels of the canners, or the spears 

 of the Indians, or the foray of wild animals which 

 depend upon it for nourishment through many months 

 of the year. In that mad rush of advance impelled 

 by mutual desire, the salty waves at the estuaries of 

 the streams are often incarnadined with the ruddy life 

 blood from moving masses of salmon, set free by the 

 propeller blades or revolving wheels of passing steam- 

 ers; and, incredible as it may seem, these schools of 

 moving salmon are at times so compressed across the 

 surface of streams, near the outlets, as to hide the water 

 from view, and if they could be so held, sustainable for 

 foot passage, one could cross from one side of the stream 

 to the other without wetting his feet. I have a picture 

 of a pack of this character, taken on an Alaska stream. 

 Upon the salmon entering fresh-water streams its 

 first movements are in leisurely swimming about as if 

 in enjoyment of the change of water; and at night — 

 for it is a nocturnal fish as are all of the Salmo species 

 — it commences its up-stream journey, which seldom 

 exceeds two or three miles an hour, and on it goes 

 upon its death excursion, as almost invariably 

 experienced in the principal long Pacific rivers. In 

 the Columbia River it ascends to the Spokane Falls 

 from six to eight hundred miles, and in the Sacramento 

 River four hundred miles, and up the San Joaquin 

 River to the extent of its tributaries, some hundreds 

 of miles, when they all, at least all of those which reach 

 the upper waters, never return, and countless millions 

 in ages past have thus perished, and will doubtless 

 continue to do so. 



During this ascent, in the fresh-water stream, 



