Ixxviii 



Fourth Annual Report of the 



being fully 13 feet. These obstructions have for long years 

 proved insuperable barriers to the passage of salmon to the 20 or 

 30 miles of good water above. But now Fishways on the Mac- 

 donald principle have been placed upon both of them. These are 

 the first Fishways of the kind ever placed on absolutely impassable 

 obstructions in this country, and it will be highly interesting to 

 watch their effect. The localities were carefully inspected by 

 Colonel Macdonald in the summer of 1884, and the designs for the 

 Fishways were supplied by him. It should be pointed out, in order 

 to show the great economy of material and labour under the Mac- 

 donald system of fishway building as compared with other systems, 

 that the ladder at Westfield has a gradient of 4'75 feet horizontal 

 to 1 foot perpendicular, and that the ladder at Westbank has a 

 gradient of only 4 horizontal to 1 perpendicular. On any other 

 system, the gradient would have required to be at least 9 horizontal 

 to 1 perpendicular; that is to say, the Fishway would have re- 

 quired to be twice as long as the Macdonald Fishway. Yet, in 

 spite of their steep gradients, these Fishways worked beautifully 

 when filled with water. There was black water throughout in both 

 of them ; while in passes with as steep a gradient on any other 

 system, there would have been a mass of white foaming water 

 which no salmon would have been able to face. 

 The Baliana- The other river, with the lochs belonging to its basin, which has 

 chist River. 1^^^^^ opened up in the course of last year, is the Ballanachist in 

 North Harris, the necessary works having been designed and success- 

 fully carried out by Lady Scott's Head Fisherman without the assist- 

 ance o.f any engineer. Mr Young inspected the works, then in pro- 

 gress, in the end of last J une, and suggested some alterations, which 

 have since been made ; and salmon and sea-trout are now able to 

 pass round a fall 20 feet high, and up a steep hill side to Loch-na- 

 Morcha, and a smaller loch connected with it. The fishings thus 

 opened up are to be attached to Tarbert Hotel ; and Mr Hornsby, 

 the landlord of that hotel, on the 27th January 1886, writes as 

 follows to Mr Young respecting the works : — ' About the Ballan- 



* achist work, it has turned out a complete success. In one cut 



* in the river near the middle, inspected by you and altered as you 

 ' suggested, there were counted 57 salmon ascending in half an 

 ' hour. Two of that number were washed on the bank by the 



* force of the stream. We are still engaged in altering the bed, 



* so as to make it more easy for the fish. The lower pool, also 



* suggested by you, is a most complete success. Had I allowed 

 ' the river and lochs to be fished, I am certain we would have 

 ' taken over 500 salmon. The river at one time got low, and left 

 ' 23 salmon high and dry. We secured them, and took them up in 

 ' tanks to the upper loch (Loch-na-Morcha).' 



The past The past fishing season has been a successful one, though not 



Fishing Season, quite equal to that of 1883, when 35,506 boxes of salmon were 

 sent to London from Scotland. Next to 1883, it is, however, the 

 best season since 1874. The total number of boxes sent to London 

 was 30,362, and the following summary, kindly furnished by 

 Messrs Forbes, Stuart, & Co., of London, will show the number sent 

 during each week of the season :-— 



