e; and the tide flows ten or twelve feet at the bridge. Here we had
the diversion of seeing them catch fish with the assistance of a dog. The
case is this:--On the south side of the river, and on a slip, or narrow
cut or channel made on purpose for a mill, there stands a corn-mill; the
mill-tail, or floor for the water below the wheels, is wharfed up on
either side with stone above high-water mark, and for above twenty or
thirty feet in length below it on that part of the river towards the sea;
at the end of this wharfing is a grating of wood, the cross-bars of which
stand bearing inward, sharp at the end, and pointing inward towards one
another, as the wires of a mouse-trap.

When the tide flows up, the fish can with ease go in between the points
of these cross-bars, but the mill being shut down they can go no farther
upwards; and when the water ebbs again, they are left behind, not being
able to pass the points of the grating, as above, outwards; which, like a
mouse-trap, keeps them in, so that they are left at the bottom with about
a foot or a foot and a half of water. We were carried hither at low
water, where we saw about fifty or sixty small salmon, about seventeen to
twenty inches long, which the country people call salmon-peal; and to
catch these the person who went with us, who was our landlord at a great
inn next the bridge, put in a net on a hoop at the end of a pole, the
pole going cross the hoop (which we call in this country a shove-net).
The net being fixed at one end of the place, they put in a dog (who was
taught his trade beforehand) at the other end of the place, and he drives
all the fish into the net; so that, only holding the net still in its
place, the man took up two or three and thirty salmon-peal at the first
time.

Of these we took six for our dinner, for which they asked a shilling
(viz., twopence a-piece); and for such fish, not at all bigger, and not
so fresh, I have seen six-and-sixpence each given at a London
fish-market, whither they are sometimes brought from Chichester by land
carriage.

This excessive plenty of so good fish (and other provisions being
likewise very cheap in proportion) makes the town of Totnes a very good
place to live in; especially for such as have large families and but
small estates. And many such are said to come into those parts on
purpose for saving money, and to live in proportion to their income.

From hence we went still south about seven miles (all i