'Journal of a Voyage through the 



bed of the river in a slanting position (which could be prac- 

 ticable only when the water is much lower than I saw it) 

 with the thick part downwards ; over these is laid a bed 

 of gravel, on which is placed a range of lesser trees, and 

 so on alternately till the work is brought to its proper 

 height. Beneath it the machines are placed, into which 

 the salmon fall when they attempt to leap over. On either 

 side there is a large frame of timber-work six feet above 

 the level of the upper water, in which passages are left 

 for the salmon leading ditectly into the machines, which 

 are taken up at pleasure. At the foot of the fall dipping 

 nets are also successfully employed. 



The water of this river is of the colour of asses milk, 

 which I attributed in part to the limestone that in many 

 places forms the bed of the river, but principally to the 

 rivulets which fall from mountains of the same material. 

 . These people indulge an extreme superstition respecting 

 their fish, as it is apparently their only animal food. Flesh 

 they never taste, and one of their dogs having picked and 

 swallowed a part of a bone which we had left, was beaten 

 by his master till he disgorged it. One of my people also 

 having thrown a bone of the deer into the river, a native, 

 who had observed the circumstance, immediately dived 

 and brought it up, and having consigned it to the fire, in- 

 stantly proceeded to wash his polluted hands. 



As we were still at some distance from the sea, I made 

 application to my friend to procure us a canoe or two, 

 with people to conduct us thither. After he had made 

 various excuses, I at length comprehended that his only 

 objection was to the embarking venison in a canoe on their 

 river, as the fish would instantly smell it and abandon 

 them, so that he, his friends, and relations, must starve. 

 I soon eased his apprehensions on that point, and desired 

 to know what I must do with the venison that remained, 

 when he told me to give it to one of the strangers whom 

 he pointed out to me, as being of a tribe that eat flesh. 

 I now requested him to furnish me with some fresh salmon 

 in its raw state ; but instead of complying with my wish, 

 he brought me a couple of them roasted, observing, at the 

 same time, that the current was very strong, and would 

 bring us to the next village, where our wants would be 

 abundantly supplied. In short, he requested that we 

 would make haste to depart. This was rather unexpected 

 after so much kindness and hospitality, but our ignorance 



