The Southland Times. MONDAY, MARCH 4, 1867.

Southland Times, Issue 639, 4 March 1867, Page 2

The Southland Times. MONDAY, MARCH 4, 1867.

The year 1867 will probably be remembered by the future generation as the year in which th~eii 'ancestors successfully performed a repetition of one of the most beautiful experiments that has ever been attempted within the domain of natural history. The colonisation of our rivers and our streams, our lakes and our shores, with salmon — the glorious king of fishes — must ever be an event worthy of a record in the annals of New Zealand. Prom the habits of the salmon, and a glance at the physical features of the countries that it frequents, there appears to be reason to believe that New Zealand, and especially the Southern portion of the Middle Island, will be that portion of Australasia successful for its propagation, which will afford the Colony a firm , ( . and sure foundation. The extreme north-west corners of the two great masses of land in the northern hemisphere appears to be, without doubt, the two centres of creation for the salmon race. And of these two nations of salmonidoe, the American seems to be the strongest, the largest individually, the most numerous, and the most flourishing. Whether this is owing to any vital specific national difference, or merely .the result of climate, is ijot yet sufficiently, known.

Perhaps the American species is not only a different one from that of the European, but also the American country itself, in its physical conditions, better adapted than the European to the fullest and most perfect development of the fish possible. However, the physical andgeopraphical conditions of Stewart's Island and the southern portion of the Middle Island of New Zealand present such striking and identical similarities to those of Norway and Sweden, and the portion of North America stretching north from Vancouver's Island, that it is impossible to escape the conviction that the shores, the rivers, the streams and the lakes, of Otago, and especially Southand, are yet destined to be the third, and, perhaps, the greatest of all the centres of the salmon race. The Acclimatization Society at Christehurch held a special meeting of its council on the 23rd of August last, for the purpose of taking into consideration the following letter of Dr. Offices: — " Hobart Town, Ist Aug. " The hopes of the Salmon Commissioners that the trout in the ponds would begin to spawn during the present winter have been realised, and they are anxious to show the appreciation of the aid which they have received from Canterbury in their important enterprise by furnishing the Acclimatization Society with a supply of ova at the earliest date in their power ; and, provided engagements can be made for their safe transmission, the Commissioners are prepared to forward to Christehurch a portion of the stock which they have just derived from the fish which they have in their possession. The Commissioners are not yet in a position to say what will be the ultimate I result of the spawning; but, from fish so young and small, a large produce cannot be expected. They believe, however, that they : will be able to supply the Society with from 500 to 1000 fish. To forward them by any of the small trading vessels between Hobart Town and your Province, or by a steamer via Melbourne, except under the care of some trustworthy person especially selected for that duty, would be simply throwing them away. You some time since offered to go to Melbourne for the purpose of receiving and conveying to New Zealand a portion of the ova expected from England by the " Lincolnshire." Could you not come here on a similar errand ? If you cannot come, then some other reliable person must be sent — and whoever comes should be here within thirty or forty days from this, in order that the ova may not be too far advanced for removal. The number of ova that it is the power of the commissioners to supply at present is but small, but it is yet sufficient to yield to you more fish than we have ever possessed of this kind, and to enable you to stock all the rivers of New Zealand in due time. The ova will be packed in exactly the same manner as those imported from England, and if well secured and protected on the deck of the steamer there is little doubt but they will reach their destination in safety. Should your Society, however, be of opinion that the number of ova which the Commissioners can send this season is not worth th9 expense and trouble which their conveyance would cost, or that the time is too short to admit of yourself or some other agent coming here to receive them in charge, then they must wait until the next spawnj ing season comes round, when, in all probability, the Commissioners will be able to furnish a better supply. Their spawning stock will not, of course, have increased, but may be diminished ; yet their greater size and age will ensure a higher produce. The spawning of the trout has been hoped for, for some time, but was not certain until a very short time before it commenced, so that it has not been in the power of the Commissioners to give earlier notice of the event. Should your Society decide not to avail themselves of the present offer of the Commissioners, the experience of the season points out the date at which yourself or other agent should be here next winter. — E. Offices. — Mr. Johnston, Curator, &c." This letter from Dr. Officer, who is in charge of the trout and salmon depot at Hobart Town, to Mr Johnston, the Curator at Christehurch, shows very plainly that the Canterbury people are not only already in the field, but likely, in all probability, to be the first to reap the silver harvest. And why should this be so ? Dr. Offices says that the " Salmon ! Commissioners, are anxious to show their appreciation of the aid which they had I received from Canterbury in their impor- [ tarit enterprise, by furnishing the Acclimatization Society with a supply of ova at the earliest date in their power." But the people of Southland ought not now to forget that these very same " Salmon Commissioners" who last August were so " anxious to show their appreciation of the aid which they had received from Canterbury," wrote some years since either to I the Government or AcclimatizationSocietyof Southland to state that, "owing to the aid which they had received from Southland in this same important ' enterprise," they would be ready and willing to supply the province of Southland " with a supply of ova at the earliest date in their power." This fact, then, that Canterbury is now up and doing, ought at once to stimulate the people of Southland to exertion. There is no necessity for an unfriendly rivalry. The : same jessel that transports the ova from Hobart Town to Christchurch, can without i any serious additional expense, deposit a j

portion of its burden attke Bluff j and jibe same, agent even can, if proper step! be taken in time, act aa a common agent for both the Provinces. In reply to the above letter of Dr. Offtoeb, which wai read at the meeting, Mr. G-ottld proposed, and Mr. Mactahlane seconded : " That the thanks of the Society be tendered to Dr. Officer for the offer of the trout ova, but that owing to the delay in receiving his letter, and the uncertainty of a vessel from Tasmania, they thought it would be advisable to wait the result of another year's spawning, when they would gladly aecept his offer, and take steps for the safe transit to. New Zealand." As this resolution was*" carried afc the meeting, and Me. G-otth) announced that Messrs. J. T. Peacock & Co., had promised to bring any fish, gratuitously, from Tasmania in their vessels, the likelihood of any serious expense connected with the transit is small indeed. "When, then, this probable trifling expense of transit, is contrasted with the manifest and great advantage of having our rivers, streams, and lakes, stocked immediately with this most valuable fish ; surely it is not too much to ask the people of Southland and the Q-overnment to bestir themselves at once, in order that they may be amongst the first of the Provinces of New Zealand, to reap the benefit of this most " important enterprise."