11 



casting line three or four times round Ms head and snout ; knot- 

 ted it then very ingeniously, and thus gagged and half suffocated 

 himself — the water necessary for breathing not being able to 

 enter and pass to the gills. 



As the river fell the fish were able to mount the impetuous 

 canal rapid, so strangely excavated out of the live rock, and were 

 caught in considerable numbers by Louis, at his " P6che " near 

 the bridge, and then deposited alive in the clear pond, which had 

 been formed for their reception under a copious spring, gushiug 

 out of the neighbouring bank. Here they swim about freely, 

 although the space is limited, apparently unconscious of their 

 captive condition ; seeking the coolest and deepest part of the 

 reservoir where they can enjoy a little shade. They do not 

 appear to suffer or lose flesh from confinement and want of food, 

 or from the difference between the purer water of the river, and 

 the hard spring in which they are now placed. 



We frequently visited this reservoir, and my little boy would 

 amuse himself flinging crumbs to the poor prisoners, but to no 

 purpose, as they have never been observed to eat any thing- 

 Often would he scream with delight to see one of the salmon dart 

 through the pond, at the rate of thirty knots an hour, when he 

 touched his tail with a rod — disturbing all the rest, and causing 

 such a splashing of the water, as frequently gave us a good 

 sprinkling when standing near the brink. The last evening we 

 were there we counted forty-five finny captives, and Dery 

 talked of sending them in next morning to the Quebec market. 

 Morning came, and when the poor man went to the reservoir 

 to take out his fish, he was horrified to find that forty-three of 

 them had been stolen during the night, and only two little ones 

 remained. 



A further proof of the capabilities of this river is found 

 in the following peculiar and interesting occurrence. Inte- 

 resting so far as shewing what could be done, and at the 

 same time affording another evidence of the destruction 

 practiced by a thoughtless people. 



