Is he talking Irish?
Irish-English at least: but what he said was, that it was a mighty fine flood entirely, praised be God; and would help on the potatoes and oats after the drought, and set the grass growing again on the mountains.
And what is he saying now?
That the river will be full of salmon and white trout after this.
What does he mean?
That under our feet now, if we could see through the muddy water, dozens of salmon and sea-trout are running up from the sea.
What! up this furious stream?
Yes.

What would be death to you is pleasure and play to them.

Up they are going, to spawn in the little brooks among the mountains; and all of them are the best of food, fattened on the herrings and sprats in the sea outside, Madam How's free gift, which does not cost man a farthing, save the expense of nets and rods to catch them.
How can that be?
I will give you a bit of political economy.

Suppose a pound of salmon is worth a shilling; and a pound of beef is worth a shilling likewise.
Before we can eat the beef, it has cost perhaps tenpence to make that pound of beef out of turnips and grass and oil-cake; and so the country is only twopence a pound richer for it.

But Mr.Salmon has made himself out of what he eats in the sea, and so has cost nothing; and the shilling a pound is all clear gain.