THE CALIFORNIAN SALMON. 
63 
length of 30 miles. In the Snake River, the sources of 
which are eastward of the Great Salt Lake, the journey 
that they have to make is about 1,000 miles. 
“In general, when they leave the sea to ascend the 
rivers, they remain for some time in the brackish water 
where the river joins the sea. The fishermen believe 
that the change destroys the numerous parasites which 
become attached to their body during their sojourn in the 
sea They soon, however, begin to ascend the 
rivers, where they are immediately set upon without mercy, 
by the whites at first, and afterwards, higher up in the 
Indian territory, by the red-skins, who during a part of 
the year live entirely on this fish. 
“ The Salmo quinnat can be caught very well with the 
fly, like the trout or the ordinary salmon. Its own eggs 
make also an excellent bait. But as salmon-fishing in 
California is oftener followed as an industry than simply 
for sport, it is jmncipally by means of immense fixed nets 
that they are caught, which completely stop the passage of 
the fish at certain points known to be most frequented by 
the salmon. This happens, for instance, near the limit of 
the salt water in the Rio Vista and Oregon River, where 
the quantity of fish caught is enormous. Extensive works 
have been erected for preserving the salmon in tins, which 
are afterwards exported to Europe, where they meet with 
an advantageous outlet. In 1874, the preserving works on 
the Columbia River preserved more than 22,000,000 lbs. 
of salmon, in addition to the local consumption, which 
might be estimated at 11,000,000 lbs. weight of fresh and 
salt fish, which would make 33,000,000 lbs. of salmon, the 
produce of one year from a single river, and since then 
the numbers have increased. 
“ The works are on the bank of the river, upon which 
are sometimes seen heaps of 1,200 to 1,500 fish. According 
