464 Fishes. 
of water, they spring up with such a force through the 
descending torrent, that they stem it till they reach the 
higher bed of the stream ; and on this account small 
cascades on the Tweed and other rivers are often 
called Salmon-leaps. The Salmon is in a great measure 
confined to the northern seas, being unknown in the 
Mediterranean, and in the waters of other warm cli- 
mates. The flesh is red when raw, rather paler when 
salted or boiled ; it is an agreeable food, fat, tender, and 
sweet, and excels in richness all other fresh-water fish : 
however, it does not agree with every stomach, and is 
often injurious when eaten by sick persons. 
In the river Tweed, about the month of July, the 
capture of Salmon is astonishing : often a boat-load, and 
sometimes nearly two, may be taken at a tide ; and in 
one instance more than seven hundred fish were caught 
at a single haul of the net. From fifty to a hundred at 
a haul are very common. Some of these are sent to 
London by the railway ; but part are slightly salted and 
pickled, in which state they are called kipper. The 
season for fishing commences in the Tweed in February, 
and ends about old Michaelmas-day. On this river 
there are about forty considerable fisheries, which ex- 
tend upwards, about fourteen miles from the mouth ; 
besides many, others of less consequence. These, se- 
veral years ago, were let at an annual rent of more 
than ten thousand pounds ; and to defray this expense, 
it has been calculated that upwards of two hundred 
thousand Salmon must be paught there, one year with 
another. The principal Salmon fisheries in Europe are 
in the rivers, or on the sea-coasts adjoining the large 
rivers of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The chief 
English rivers in which they are now caught are the 
Tyne, the Trent, the Severn, and the Tweed. They 
were formerly found in the Thames, but none have been 
taken there for many years. The Salmon fry go down 
the river to the sea in April. A young Salmon under 
two pounds in weight is called a Salmon Peel, and a 
larger one a Grilse. Salmon cannot be eaten too fresh, 
and is very unwholesome when stale. 
