194 EXTRACTS FROM NOTE-BOOKS. CH. XXXII. 



The mouth of every river is flanked and hemmed 

 in by stake -nets and similar obstructions, against 

 which the poor salmon have not the least chance. 

 Coasting along the shore in search of fresh waters, 

 they find a fence which they cannot get through, 

 and which leads them directly into an ingenious 

 but most iniquitous puzzle of a trap. In fact, if 

 the object of proprietors and renters of rivers was 

 to exterminate salmon, they could not devise better 

 means to do so than those now practised. On the 

 other hand, the rents are so high — and they still go 

 on increasing — that the lessees are obliged of ne- 

 cessity to use every means in their power to pay all 

 their heavy expenses and to obtain even a moderate 

 profit. 



The individual who hires a salmon river as a 

 matter of trade and speculation cannot be expected 

 to be influenced by any other motive than wishing 

 to make the best of his bargain. His outgoings are 

 great ; he pays a large rent for the privilege of 

 dragging a net through the water ; he pays a rent 

 for the right of putting up stake-nets, bag-nets, 

 cruives, &c., all of which are exposed to injury and 

 destruction by flood and storm ; he pays numerous 

 servants and watchers, and has also the great ex- 

 pense of making and renewing his boats, nets, and 

 other valuable tackles — and yet he is the person 



