80 



fish in this river, as -well as at the Portneuf and the Jacques 

 Cartier, is the ruinous practice of spearing them on their 

 spawning bed^, a practice which must be put an end to 

 throughout the Province. Did the mass of the people 

 know the evils resulting to the use of the spear, and that 

 by the use of it they are deprived of an abundance of that 

 delicious fish; which ought to be on the table of every 

 habitant at least once a week — they would rise en masse — 

 bum every spear in the country, and duck the owners 

 of them once a day for a month, in the rivers of each dis- 

 tiict; which would be but a slight punishment for the evils 

 they have brought upon the community. 



CHAPTER Xni. 



RIVER CHAUDIERB TO RIVER DU SUD. 



We will now take a hasty glance of the rivers on the 

 South shore, and although in the upper waters few salmon 

 are now taken, yet, formerly, every one abounded with this 

 fish. 



Crossing the St. Lawrence from our last resting-place, 

 the River St. Anne — a westerly breeze will bring us to the 

 mouth of the Chaudiere, where, between the mouth of the 

 river and the falls, considerable quantities of fine fish were 

 formerly taken. Only preserve the nurseries of the lower 

 tributaries of the St. Lawrence, and the bays, creeks and 

 streams of the upper waters, will soon be as prolific as 

 ever. 



