36 



is extremely numerous in those rivers that flow 

 nortli through tlie Hudson Bay territory, into the 

 ice-bound Arctic seas, less are cognizant; l)ut that 

 he perfectly swarms in the streams and estuaries of 

 the North Pacific Ocean, many, I am certain, are 

 ignorant. Yet he does swarm in those distant 

 waters, until lately only known to whalers and 

 fur traders, in such countless multitudes, that their 

 arrival is looked forward to from season to season 

 as the great event of the year — for with his coming, 

 privations from hunger tenninate, and an abundance 

 of nutritious food is not only temporarily secured, 

 but a hoard laid up sufticient to last through the 

 protracted term of a rigorous northern winter. 



When traveling in Japan, what was my delight 

 to hear that salmon were numerous in these favored 

 islands! Naturally I looked forward with avidity 

 to the hope that I might be so situated as to obtain 

 a day's fishing on the margin of one of its distant 

 rivers; however, in this I was disappointed, but 

 nevertheless had the fortune to make acquaintance 

 with an intelligent Japanese merchant, who not only 

 showed me numerous specimens of the genuine 

 Salmo salar, but gave me abundant information 

 regarding their habits, and the method there pursued 



