214 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
One of tlie ways employed for increasing tlie catch of breeders is so peculiar that 
perhaps a description of it may not be out of place here: 
As may be readily supposed, the constant drawing of the net over the seining-hole had the effect 
of frightening the salmon off the ground. Of course it was necessary to get them back again before 
they spawned, as otherwise we should have lost the eggs. This year I accomplished it in this way; 
I had several Indians go up to tlie bridge armed with long poles. At a given signal three Indians 
jumped into the foaming rapids below the bridge, and by splashing the water with their arms and 
limbs and making as much of a disturbance in the water as possible, did everything they could to 
frighten the salmon ont of the rapids. On reaching the deep holes, where the fish lay collected by 
hundreds and perhaps thousands, the Indians dove down in the very midst of the swarms of salmon, 
and, stirring them up with their long poles, succeeded in driving them out. 
On these occasions the hauling of the seine was quite an exciting event. The Indian cwimmers, 
their dark heads just showing above the white foam, screaming and shouting in the icy waters and 
brandishing their long j)oles, came down the rapids at great speed, disaiipeariug entirely now and 
then as they dove down into a deeji hole. As soon as they apx^roached within about 4 rods of the 
fishing skiff, the boat shot out from the shore, the second boatman braced himself and his oars for a 
quick pull down along the bank, the man at the stern of the first boat began jiayiug out the seine, 
the fishermen on the beach gathered at their resj)eotive ropes, the men on shore began throwing rocks 
in the rapids, and in a few moments the net was drawn to the beach with an enormous mass of 
struggling, writhing salmon, often weighing in the aggregate not less than 4 or 5 tons. Then the 
fishermen sprang into the water and examined the fish, taking the ripe ones to the corral and 
throwing the unripe ones back into the river until the net was emptied. Then all was quiet again 
and the men jiroceeded to take the eggs from the ripe salmon which they had captured. 
This year, in packing eggs, we averaged 500,000 an hour: 
Had not the character of the packing, as shown by the way in which the boxes were finally 
opened, been made the subject of unusual commendation from the jiarties who were engaged in 
unpacking the eggs at their destination, I should hardly venture to say how rapidly they were packed, 
lest it might be thought to inqily undue haste or want of care. I will, however, under the circum- 
stances, state that the eggs were actually jiacked at the rate of 500,000 an hour, and I will add my 
own testimony also, that I nev'er saw eggs iiacked with more care, fidelity, and pains, the rajiidity with 
which the work was disjiatched being wholly the result of experience and skill and the enthusiasm 
with which everyone employed did the jiart of the work which fell to his share. — (United States Fish 
Commissioner’s Report, 1878, page 762.) 
We liad an Indian scare this year and the War Department sent us rides and 
ammunition. It was extremely unpleasant for a few weeks at the station, but it 
resulted in no actual injury. It will be remembered, perhaps, that during the pre- 
vious year a gigantic plan had been arranged for the universal uprising of all the 
Indian tribes between the Missouri on the east and the Cascade Eange and the Sierra 
Nevadas on the west. This came very near being successful, and if it had not been 
broken up, as it was, by the vigilance and activity of the United States troojis it would 
have resulted in widespread calamity in the siiarsely settled regions of the West. 
Fortunately, General Howard gave it a deathblow in the capture of Chief Joseph and 
his band near the Missouri, but the infection spread as far west as McCloud Eiver, 
and for a few weeks rendered life there anything but agreeable. 
In 1879 the experiment was tried of putting two sacks across the McCloud, one 
above the seining-ground, wholly closed to the salmon, of course, and one below the 
seining-ground, partly open at the bottom. It was thought in this way that more 
lireeding salmon would remain on the seining-ground, but it was not a success and the 
results did not warrant a renewal of the experiment. We had a military guard at the 
station this year, and the presence of soldiers wa,s found very useful, but they were 
not needed this season for jirotection from the Indians, who had become quiet again 
