144 GEOWTH OF THE SALMON-FISHEEIES. 



accompanying sketch of a salmon-watcher's tower on the great 

 German river may interest those of my readers who have never 

 been on that Jpeautiful waiter. 



This unhealthy competition will always continue till some 

 new system be adopted, such as converting each river into a • 

 joint-stock property, when the united interests of the proprietors, 

 both upper and lower, would be considered. The trade in fresh 

 salmon, which culminated in the almost total extermination of 

 the fish in some rivers, dates from the time of Mr. Dempster's 

 discovery of packing in ice. Half-a-century ago, when we had 

 no railways, and when even fast coaches were too slow for the 

 transmission of sear-produce, the markets were exceedingly local. 

 Then salmon was so very cheap as to be thought of no value as 

 food, and was only looked upon by the population with an eye of 

 good-humoured toleration — ^nobody ever expected to hear of it as 

 a luxury at ten shillings a pound weight. No Parisian market 

 existed then for foul flsh, and fifty years ago people only poached 

 for amusement. But in the excessive poaching which now goes 

 on during close-time we have a minor cause nearly as productive 

 of evil as the primary and legal one ; for of course it is legal for 

 the tacksman of the station to kill all the fish he can. Add to 

 these causes the extraordinary quantities of infant fish which 

 are annually kUled, coupled with that phase of insanity which 

 leads to the capture of grilse (salmon that have never spawned), 

 and we obtain a rough idea of the progress of destruction as it 

 goes on in our salmon rivers. Fifty or sixty years ago men 

 caught a salmon or shot a pheasant for mere sport, or at most 

 for the supply of an individual want. Now poaching is a trade 

 or business entered into as a means of securing a weekly or 

 annual income ; it has its complex machinery — its nets, guns, 

 and other implements. There are men who earn large wages 

 at this Ulicit work, who take to " the birds " in autumn and " the 

 fish" in winter with the utmost regularity ; and there are middle- 

 men and others who encourage them and aid them in disposing 

 of the stolen goods. 



In former times, as at present, there were more ways of 

 killing a salmon than by angling for it. Parties used to be 

 made up for the purpose of "burning the water," a practice 

 which prevailed largely on the Tweed, and which aflforded good 

 rough sport. The burning took place a little after sunset, when 

 an old boat was commissioned for the purpose, and flaming 

 torches of pinewood were lighted to lure the fish to their destruc- 



