OCR Text |
Show 402 WESTERN WILDS. mette. They continue up stream as far as possible, and have been seen twelve hundred miles from the ocean. On all the rapids they are found " bucking against the stream;" where only the most daring boatmen venture, they glide swiftly up over the rocks; and where man descends at the risk of his life, the graceful salmon is seen shin-ing through the foaming water. Having reached the highest attaina- KAPIDS ON THE UPPER COLUMBIA. ble point, on whatever stream they turn into, they spawn among the gravel and on the rocks, where the water is but two or three inches deep. Then they die by thousands, and masses of dead salmon are cast ashors, or found floating in the eddies. It was thought they all died ; but the fishermen say it is now known that many of the old ones survive to return to the ocean, though they float sluggishly with the current, keeping very low in the water. Next year the young ones go out to the ocean in vast schools, and occasionally one of them is caught with a hook, but not often. The meat of the salmon is poison to a dog. There is a remarkable difference between various localities. At places on Puget Sound, the salmon is not fit to eat ; at others, it is inferior, but still palatable. The Columbia takes preced-ence of all points on the coast. We spent three hours at Astoria, a curious old town strung along under the wooded hills, and a party of us walked out to see the first house built in Oregon the old residence of Astor. The place is now |