206 



Harmon's journal. 



Thursday, 22. One of the Natives has caught 

 a salmon, which is joyful intelligence to us all ; for 

 we hope and expect, that, in a few days, we shall 

 have them in abundance. These fish visit, to a 

 greater or less extent, all the rivers in this region, 

 and form the principal dependence of the inhabit 

 tants, as the means of subsistence. 



Monday, September 2. We now have 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. But, 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 this 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 re- 

 main there and die. None were ever seen to de- 

 scend these streams. They are found dead in such 

 numbers, in some places, as to infect the atmos- 

 phere, with a terrible stench, for a considerable 

 distance round. But, even when they are in a 

 putrified state, the Natives frequently gather 



