214 NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 



In the paucity of our information respecting the fish of New Caledonia, the fol- 

 lowing notices, collected from the Journal of Mr. D. W. Harmon, a partner of the 

 North West Company, are valuable. This gentleman resided for several years at 

 a fur-post on Stuart's Lake, which lies in the 55th parallel of latitude, and 125th 

 degree of longitude, and which discharges its waters by a stream, named also 

 Stuart, into Frazer's River, that falls into the Strait of Juan da Fuca. As his 

 remarks upon fish relate chiefly to the Salmon tribe, this appears to be the most 

 appropriate place for their insertion. 



" 1811. May 11. Stuart's Lake. The ice in the lake broke up this after- 

 noon. 22. We now take trout in the lake, with set lines and hooks, in consider- 

 able numbers, but they are not of a good kind. It is perhaps a little remarkable, 

 that pike or pickarel have never been found in any of the lakes and rivers on the 

 west side of the Rocky Mountains. 



" August 2. It is impossible at this season to take fish out of this lake or river. 

 Unless the salmon from the sea soon make their appearance our condition will be 

 deplorable. 10. Sent all our people to a small lake about twelve miles off, out of 

 which the natives take small fish, much resembling salmon in shape and flavour, 

 but not more than six inches long. They are said to be very palatable. 22. One 

 of the natives has caught a salmon, which is joyful intelligence to us all, for we 

 hope and expect in a few days to have abundance. These fish visit, to a greater 

 or less extent, all the rivers in this region, and form the principal dependence of 

 the inhabitants as the means of subsistence. The natives always make a feast to 

 express their joy at the arrival of the salmon. The person who sees the first one 

 in the river exclaims, Td-loe naslay ! td-loe naslay ! Salmon have arrived ! salmon 

 have arrived ! — The exclamation is caught up with joy, and repeated with animation 

 by every body in the village. 



" September 2. We have now the Common salmon in abundance. They weigh 

 from five to seven pounds. There are also a few of a larger kind, which will 

 weigh sixty or seventy pounds. Both of them are very good when just taken out 

 of the water. Rut when dried, as they are by the Indians here by the heat of the 

 sun, or in the smoke of a fire, they are not very palatable. When salted they are 

 excellent. As soon as the salmon come into Stuart's Lake they go in search of 

 the rivers and brooks that fall into it, and these streams they ascend so far as there 

 is water to enable them to swim ; and when they can proceed no farther up, they 

 remain there and die. None were ever seen to descend these streams. They are 

 found dead in such numbers, in some places, as to infect the atmosphere with a 

 terrible stench, for a considerable distance round. But even when they are in a 



