ARTIFICIAL PRODUCTION OF FISH.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume V, Issue 115, 21 April 1853, Page 3

ARTIFICIAL PRODUCTION OF FISH.

It may not be generally known that the means of producing fish to an incalculable extent in takes and rivers have been discovered, and have within the last three years been employed on :i grand scale and will] cxlraordiuaiy success in ilill'ereiit parts of I'raurc. .'■' nine wars ago two fishermen, (ieliin mill tteiny, e > I" I .a llrcsse, in llic <leparliiieiil of (In: Vosges, found lliat from \arious causes I In • slock of Iron!, tor which llic rivers ami lakes of dial ileparlincii! arc famous, greatly ilcclineil; an I they alienlively slmlieil (lie habits of llic male ami female Iron! at spawning lime, with llic view, if p issible. of discovering llic iiicaus of checking ihi! evil. Alice long ami patient oliscrvalioii ll.ey foiunl that not one in a hundred of the eggs ilepositeil by llic female in the I'eil of rivers, ami fccumlcil by (lie mill of llic male, came lo maturity—llic rest being devoured liy oilier li-h, washed away, or destroyed liy mud. They found also that of llic lish which had liccome excluded or hatched, Ihe greater pari were destroyed by the larger lish of their own or dilfcrcut specie-,. ll llieu struck llieui ihal if liny were lo collccl the eggs and apply the milt themselves, insli'ad of leaving (he lish lo do it, and afterwards lo secure the young lish from the voracity of llic larger ones, ihey would in (he course of a few years olilain an inexhaustible supply. Accordingly, Ihey seized a female Iroul just as they perceived she was about lo spawn, and liy pressure on her belly caused her lo deposit her eggs in a vessel containing fresh water. 'lhevafterwards look a male, ami liy pressing his belly in the same way, caused his mill lo sperl on lh(! eggs. ll is liy pressing on llic belly (hat llic female aad male always relieve themselves al spawning lime. These two men, Ihen, in imitation of llic lish, placed the eggs on a layer of gravel, which ihev deposited in a liox full of holes. The box Ihev fixed in llic lied of a Mowing stream, and covered ii with pebbles. The fish themselves in the natural way cover Ihe eggswilh pebbles and leave them, in due lime the eggs excluded, ami almost every one was found lo hi* good. 'lhev thus obtained from one female several hundred lish. They took precautions for keeping the little creatures in water where ihev were out of danger, and supplied them with lilting food. Applying Ihis operation the year after lo a great iiiiiiil.it of lish, Ihey obtained several thousand trout; and in a year or two more the numbers had literally increased lo millions, i After ihey had slocked all ihe livers and ' streams of Ihe Vosges, and some in Ihe | .Moselle ami the Haul and llas-llhiu. Dr. I llaxo, secretary of tin' Sm-irlr d'fcmulntiim </..< I'(;.«/,-.< drew Ihealteulio.i of Ihe Academy j or Sciences ami of the tiovernnicut lo the | discovery. The Academy declared llial il \ was of immense national importance, though ; il had Ion;; been known lo scientific men as j a scientific curiosity, not, however, as of; praciical utility. The (iovci ninciil, on its j pari, :>a\v thai Ihe application of il lo the rivers and streams of r'ranco would not only J all'ord employment to a vast number of per- ( sous, but would enable an immense addition to he made, al scarcely any expense, lo Ihe ! people's food. 11, accordingly, look Ihe j I wo men into its service ami made llicm . apply tin: system lo dilfercni waters. 'lhey j have done :.o with ihe most singular success; | livers and lal.es in which llicre were no lish j are now lecining with lliem. .Vor hale Ihey i couliucil their operations lo lioui alone, but liaic extended llii'in lo salmon, carp, pike, I

touch, and perch, arid in e.-irl; case Willi complete success, lnileerl, Iheir system is applioalilo lo all soils ol' Ireshwaler lish, and jto those which, all'r spawiiinp, in mors, descend to the sen. Anions ll"' livers lii.-y ' have alroadv sloikod are ihosr-nC llie hire, ! llanlol.oiri'", Allior, i.o/fif, Mfiisf, Mfinllif, ! ami lln;!!aii!f-.Saoiif. i-V\fi-al jjeiillomeii el' , properly have also Irieil llie svsiem wi'.li I success on their eslalos in l'ari;i:aily, llrio. • ami Normanily. In addition io ibebr.vdiii:.: of lish in enormous ipianlili. s. il fiinbli-s fish or (lillfi-fiil speeies lo In- na'.nr.dcvd in slraiige wiilers or removed IVOIII river lo river, t-'o !>reat is llie imparlance wliiHi llie (juvrriiincii't allaehf.s lo Hie plan, Hint il has noniinaleil a riimiiiisi.inii ol' eminent scienliiic men to siiperinlenil the opornlion; ol' to hin anil Itemv. The Mtmilmr annoiiiins ihal the Minister ol' .Marine am! Colonies has also ! nrilrml licit experiincnls shall lie mnile to apply it to salt water lish, al Hie moiilhs ol' livers, anil oil' llie coasts, ami especially to lobsters. M. Valenciennes, an eminenl icblbvologist, anil member ol' llie Insliliile. lias been 'cliargoil lo examine the moiilhs ol' rivers ;iml llie coasls Irani Havre lo I.aToslf, and lo slate in what places lh.- exporimenls may be iriea wilb 1110,1 < -baa: <■■• ol' advantago.

ll.uirnoMNr. a Prxri<ii.—The strength of some, ami tin" ferocity nl' oilier, iiii'inlii'i-s ol' (lie limiy tribe frequenting the const of Jamaica, are almost beyond belief. A lew remarkable iiislaiu-rs fell nn.'cr l!n- author's observation, am! may In- considered worthy of note. A gentleman, famous for his exploits amongst the lish ol' these waters, was taking a cruise in his lilHe yai'ht, el" seven tons. While sailing about the spacious harbour of l'orl-Koyal, his attention was allrartrd by a large substance Healing ami slowly revolving like the itiuiiini ol' it wheel. "Halloo!" exclaimed he, " that answers to the description I have read ol'tin; siinlish. Here's at him." As this liltie vessel approached the creature, a man was stationed at thebowspiril and, poising a harpoon. The yacht soon lulled up, head to wind. Bringing the bowsprit gently over tin- unronsriotts sea monster, a splashing commotion in the water proved plainly enough, that the harpoon had driven well home. It might be supposed that victory was now achieved ,* no such thing. Indignant at the mere idea of captivity, the sunhlish smmedialely made for the sea, choosing the deepest channel and lowing the little trail alter him. Sails were promptly taken in ; and the bard harnessed fish was left to his own devises. The rate at which he towed the boat was pleasant enough, and indeed, very exhilleraiing as long as his efforts were confined to the harbour. When, however, it appeared that the open sea was the creature's object, the affair assumed a different aspect, The vessel contained bill little water ; hardly any provisions. Still, away she went from the laud at the rate of six miles an hour, without the assistance of a stitch or canvas ! " Let us haul by the harpoon line, and kill the beggar willi a "lance," angrily cxelai d the owner ; " [ never had tlie liick to bag asunliish before." Accordingly, all hands (a scanty crew itnl'ortiiuatclv) clapped on, and tried' hard to haul the vessel up alongside the lish. Dill their best efforts were of no avail, their strength being unequal lo the task. Still onward went the monster with unabated speed. At length the land growing dim and distant, our advanlurers bad no alternate bill to cut the tow-rope and free themselves after being towed Iwenly miles.— Captain Mackinnon's Atlantic and Transatlantic Sketches. A Br.tn Sronv.— The Portland Argus contains the following account of a bear light, Which recently transpired in Andover, Norl Surplus, Oxford county, Maine: " Krastus Bean, a young tirui of 'JO years of age, was haying in his field,' accompanied by Ins boy of 12, named Dunn, when he suddenly perceived near him a large black bear of the white-faced breed, the most savage of the black variety. Having taking his gun with him to shool palridgrs, be took il up and fired at Hie brute, but with little effect, as the bear inunedialelv began to close upon him. Bean -foil back slowly, loading his gun in the meantime, when, just as he had got his charge in, his heel caught agaiu-,1 a 'twig and befell backwards, and bruin leaped upon him. His situation now was a frightful one, bill bis coolness did mil forsake him, and he immediately lired again, but with no visible effect. The bear al once went to work, sei/.iug his left arm, and biting through il, and lacerating it severely. While' thus amusing him-elf, he was tearing with his fore paws the clothes ami scralching the llesb on lite young man's breast. Having dropped his arm, he opened his huge mouth lo make a pounce at his face. Then it was thai the young man made

tin- da-h tlisit saved his life. As the bear opened Ill's jaws l!can llii'list Ill's l;ic(<i'ii(i.'(i aim down Ilu- brute's throat :is far as desperation would enable him. There he had liiji. 'l'lii' lit-:n- rimlil neither retreat nor advance, though llli' position of llio besieged was anything lull agreeable on so warm ;i il;iy. iSran now called upon Ihe hill (o conn' ami lake from his pocket :i jackknife :im! open il. Tin* hoy was :i lining I'liiiipauiiui lor ihis brave yinniy man. lie marched up In Ihe work boldly. Itnl, before hi' could ;;<"! :ii the pocket, he had lo crowd ilil- bear's head over a little lo gel at il, the beast Ihc meantime not bring at ail easy with such a hup' iiiniiilit'iil in his throat. Mau'ng got llio knife, lli'an, with his iintranii'lh'il liand, cut llio bear's throal IVom car to car. lulling him stone ilrad whilj he layon his body." lie Ihcn threw the hcast oil', iiolilicd his IViciids, had his wounds dressed, and is now coinrorlahle. Il was judged I lit" hear weighed nearly '.OO pounds."' 'l'm: Mnwr or Oi.ivr.s —'l'lifiiinvc the northern corner, willi llio lace eastward, I came lo the iloor nl" the .garden, which I found loeUed. lint I had procured a Turkish perinil. and had hceii told the hour at which I would he received ; and thus, al(!:o:igh nolm.lv answered my lir.sl call al the door, I knocked loud and 'long, when al last a little handy-legged, hron/.ed, sinewy Aral) opened Ihe door from within, rubbing his eyes so as lo cuiixiuco me dial he had hecn" sound asleep. I!ul before taking me into Ihe garden, 1 was shown the spot where I'elcr, .lames, and John were said lo have larried, and lo have fallen asleep, while Jesus went from Ihem ahiiiil a stone's cast lo pray. Il is exactly oppositu the door, and upward a little on the slope, and il presents a small Hal id' sloue raised a little from the rest ol Ihe rock, apparently of not much more exleiil than would admit of three or lour men silliugor lying in the way in which they are said to have hecn. The principal feature in Ihe garden was eight olive! trees, gnrulcil and lime-worn, probably the most aged, and uildoiilildly Ihe most vcuerahle, in Ihe whole world." Their large trunks much decayed, and small lops of foliage slill survive die'lapse prohahly of two thousand years or more. Around ihe bottom of Ihese irees, on the surface of the ground, heaps of dry stones have hee/i liuill up. And rcrlauly' when ( looked al Ihe aged sinks ill all the dillerenl stages of hardy decrcpiliide, I feit somewhat apprehensive thai llieir life ere long heeome extinct. bill I noticed, and the fact was explained lome, thai plenty of young sukers were sprouting from the base; and il is said, in proportion as Ihe vigour of Ihe parent ceases ihis nlfspriug growes wilh Ihe more rapidity, indicating thai the roots never decay. .Moreover, when ihe young shoots acquire a certain strength and slalure one of them seems lo lake ihe lead and the rest begin (o fade, so that this one in lime heroines the sole representative of ils parent. And Ihus there is a renewal of these lives as often as reipiired, and prohahly every 300 or 301) .years or more. And in this way il is easy lo (■( eive that llicse olives grow still when! they did in the lime of our Saviour; and also, Ihal if Ihey had ever hecn eul down, as has hecn alleged, hy Tilus al ihe siege or Jerusalem, Ihey would live slill, and llieir houghs and blossoms would mark ihe spot anew. Il is said Ihal Ihe enclosure of Ihe garden has hcen enlarged ahoul one-third, so as lo contain ahoul the third of an I'.nglish acre, liesides ihe eighl aged olives il is now planted with three young cypresses, many hollyhocks, roses, wall-llowcrs, and some rosemary. — hinds of tin- Mesiah. Howard, in one of his " Familiar Letters," says, when the Spaniards al llieir lirst coalition in the West Indies did begin lo mingle wild the Americans, the laller thought Dial those little while papers and lellers which Ihe Spaniards used to send lo one lo another, were certain kinds of conjurors or spirits ihal used lo go up and down lo tell tales and make discoveries. Among other examples, savs he, I remember to have; read one of an In'dieii hoy, sent from a .Mexico mcrrhanl lo a captain," wilh a basket of tigs and a letter; the boy on Ihe way did eal some of litem, and Ihe captain, alter he had read Ihe leller asked him whal became of Ihe rest.' Whereat Ihe hoy stood all astonished, and being sent wiih'aii'illier basket a little after to the same parlv. he began lo yearn again after some of the ligs, bill he lirsl took the letter and elapl il under a great stone hard by, upon which he sat while he was eating, thinking thereby that the spirit in the letter could not dr--'-ovrr him.