^68 GAME I'/Sff OF NORTH AMERICA. 



pation of the sport. Some station themselves at the rapids above 

 and below the hole : others wade out to an isolated rock, or a log 

 projecting into the stream. All hold their spears in readiness, 

 and at a grunt from the leader they commence business. At the 

 first onslaught all generally manage to secure a fish, which is de- 

 tached from the spear and thrown on the bank, the spears, by-the- 

 way, having barbs of steel, which become detached from the stock 

 when they enter the fish, and being attached to the shaft by cords, 

 turn flat against the fish's side, and make escape impossible when 

 the salmon is pierced through. The Indians proceed silently with 

 their work, and secure a great many fish before they escape from 

 the hole. Sometimes three or four hundred are thus speared out 

 of one pool. They are very cautious about making their prepa- 

 rations so as not to frighten the fish till all are ready, and then to 

 confuse them by a sudden onslaught. The fish are split open and 

 dried in the sun on the bushes, which present a curious appear- 

 ance all hung with the bright red flesh ; they are then slightly 

 smoked and reduced to small flakes, and laid away for future use. 

 The roes also of the " mahalies," as they call the females, are 

 earefuUy saved and dried, and considered a great delicacy by the 

 Indians. 



To give in detail the habits and specific characteristics of Dr. 

 Suckley's eighteen species of salmon, would require a considerable 

 volume in itself, which we trust some competent person will pre- 

 pare at no distant day. Their range is from the Sacramento 

 northward to the boreal regions of Alaska, where the salmon have 

 been known to attain a weight, on authentic report, of ninety-five 

 pounds. The government agent at Fort Nicholas, near the head 

 of Cook's Inlet, has asserted that the average weight of sixty-three 

 salmon he had taken was fifty-two and a quarter pounds (!) which 

 quite " takes the rag off" anything known on this Continent or in 

 Europe. The best information at present attainable bearing on 

 this whole subject, is contained in Dr. Suckley's Pacific Railroad 

 Reports, as we have heretofore stated. 



We shall leave our subject quite untouched if we do not attempt 

 to measure its importance by its great results as a leading commer- 

 cial factor of Pacific coast trade. The business of exporting salmon 

 in cans is of immense proportions. In 1868 it was "nix," 01 



