THROUGH THE TURNIPS AND ALONG THE TROUT STREAMS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 397, 7 October 1874, Page 3

THROUGH THE TURNIPS AND ALONG THE TROUT STREAMS.

Breakfast Is over ; the mon are gathering about the porch with their guns j the ladies, in light morning dresses that gleam in the autumn sun, flit about the hall, health upon their faces and fun rippling over iheir lips ; the " keeper " leans over the gate— the dogs restless around him : — a common picture that, in the old country in September. Heigho ! for the stubbles and the turnip's -for the steady march in line, without a whisper— for the whirr of the covey as it risos — for the crack of the double-barrel — for the subdued talk while re-loading — and for the pat of praise which Rover and Brownie get for bringing tho birds without rufflir g a feather ! Wo shall make a good bag to-day before wo meet the ladies and luncheon on the south side of the middle spinney. Away dull care and three hours to boot ! Anxiety is impossible with business two hundred miles away— letters onlo delivered in the evening— telegrams 10s a-picee— and that covey of ten over in the middle of the next field. Pass the flask round, Smith ; make for the ten-acres, and then round to the left ; the waggonette will be there by that time ! In a shady comer — well dried by the early sun — redolent of thyme and the aroma of the first-fall on leaves — is a soft, grassy carpet, humble, and cheerful. The girls gaily question us what bags we have made, and playfully reproach the novice who can boast but one red-leg — or less. Guns and straps are laid by under tKe Hedge — russet with hips and harra — and sloes black &a Kauabro grapes. The matrons "Laid A daroasknapkin wrought with horse ami hound, Bi ought out a dusky loaf, that smelt of home, And, half cyt down, a pasty costly made, Where quail and pigeon, lark and leveret lay, Like fossils of the ronk, with golden yplka Imbedded and injellied : last, with these, A flask of cider," Such memories come up when reading the report of " The Otago Acclimatization Society." With small resources, they have done much in a short time. Their account of ten years' work is remarkably good, and they are wisely looking to America, as well as England, for hints and exports.' Pheasants are plentiful all along the coast ; , they have been seen in the Taieri^ttirth, and a month's shooting has been granted in the Shag Valley. Partridges abound to tho smith and west of tho Province, though only turned out three or four years since. This is the first complete acclimatization, south of " the lino," of i this plump fowl ; the Society rightly counts it a feather in their cap. Hares aro numerous enough to promise restricted sport next autumn in , the Shag Valley. Deer and quail are to Ibe found in parks and the bush. Blackbirds, thrushes, yellow-hammers, larks, linnets, starlings, and hedge-sparrows are to be heard and seen in the city or districts round ; and some of them already out-number the native robin, with its golden breaat, aud the pert-looking parson bird. Mr. John Ewetr has deservedly received the thanks of the Society for his efforts at home.* He is always ready to help any body of Ottomans, whether they are needing parsons or any Other black-fowl. We are sorry to find the hopes of grouse have been dissappointed ; they are a costly bird, and delicate ; it will be only after many failures we shall get them on our moors. The importation of heaths and other plants is very difficult. This arises in some cases from the little

interest taken in such cargo by tho " skippers." We would adviße tho Society to have their treasures entrusted to such ship-masters as come regularly lo Dunedin, and are known to take an interest in the Colony. The boxes do lumber the decks, and need more care than opening them to cut flowers for the buttonhole, or leaves for a lady's hair.

The Society doe 3 not work for sport only, but for use as well. They have been most successful in the profitable pursuit of pisciculture, under the able assistance of Messrs. Young and Clifford. Eels are our abomination ; slimy, muddy, and otherwise insipid to the taste, we would fain exterminate them, When the last slippery worm of larger growth has been pronged and skinned and landed in the stew-pan, or imprisoned under a crust, there will still remain a nauseous recollection of the odours which linger round the pie-houses in Whitechapel and the New Cut ; and the haunting memory of a hideous Ingoldsby Legend. It is with pleasure we chronicle the arrival, settlement, and multiplication of other fish in Ofcago waters. Brown trout has done exceedingly well, growing to 14 and 161 b. Salmon trout has put to sea. and been netted at the Heads and in the Harbour. Ferch, if taken in tho winter, is a good fresh- water fish ; our climate is most suitable for it, and attempts will be made to breed it in the lakes up country. A3 it is said to be a good substitute for haddock, it should be popular with a Scotch Province, like Otago.

A gentleman, who has been much employed in the fisheries of Scotland and Ireland, informed ug the other day that a large fortune could be soon made by curing, and by careful attention to the salt-water fish. There is little doubt of this, and the fisheries should soon become a staple trade on these coasts. But our Society is ambitious of creating such a trade upon the shores of fresh-water lakes. They deserve all the assistance which can be given them. There may be two opinions whether it is good to supply keen sportsmen with other game than paradise ducks ; there can be but one opinion of the desirability of stocking our lakes and rivers with the best edible fishes. Mr. Buckland says that, by being kind to the salmon, he hopes to reduce its price to sixpence a pound. Let our Society be equally gentle to tho fish — treat it '" tenderly, as if they loved it ;M; M whether the salmon appreciate tho delicate handling or not, good housewives will know how to estimate fine pink salmon at sixpence a pound, and their husbands will eat it with only less zest than that with which they ratable by the running stream — tread daintily about its mossy stones or quiet pools — whip the dimpled current — give play to the fish that has taken the fly — and land their tired victim, a mass of silver sheen, upon the level grass. — " Ofcago Christian Record."

Tho following extract from a report of one, of the Castlemain Borough Council meetings, shows that rowdyism is not confined to the Wellington and Port Chalmers Municipal bodies. The Mayor then ro3e and hoped that Cr Greenhill would allow the business of the Council to proceed in an orderly manner, without raising so many points of* order. It was childish and unmanly, and not to be found in the standing orders of the council. Or Greenhill . I rise to a point of order ; there is nothing before the j chair. The Mayor : Will you please sit down, Cr. Greenhili Cr Greenhill : I j will not, you must hear my point of ' order, and you have no right to attack me j in tho manner you are doing. The Mayor : Sit down, sir, I will not hear you — (Some of the councillors tried lo interfere.) Cr Greenhill, still standing, said there was nothing before the council, and he "would be heard ; he was afraid of ! no man. The Mayor threatened if any more disturbance took place he would exorcise hia authority and adjourn the council. He then appealed to th 6 council for protection. Ho had, he said, been grossly inaulted In the chair ; ho could not understand Cr Greehill'a conduct. Cr. Greonhill : You have openly charged me with interrupting the business, and insulting you. • The Mayor : You have done so, and I, as Mayor, will not put up with such language from you or any other gentleman present. Cr Jackson moved the adjournment of the council. Cr Graham moved that the business proceed. Seconded by Cr Adams. Or Row© said that he had been connected with many public bodies but had never seen such discreditable conduct exhibited towards the chair as on th^j; occasion, and he for one would not be a party to allow it. Cr Farnsworth said that no doubt Cr Greenhill had spoken unthinkingly in the heat of the argument ; but he trusted that, seeing his position, he would apologise. Cr Greenhill Btated that he did not fear any man or the Council when ho was doing his duty. He had challenged the Mayor on the test question before the Council at the time. The Mayor tlion took off Ms robes and called \ upon the Council to elect another chairman. On the suggestion of Cr Durant, the Council then rose. The Mayor doclared the meeting adjoured until that day week. A snake with fins Is rather a curiosity. The " M'lvor Times" says :— lt would appear that the genial weather experienced some few days ago had the effect of rousing the reptile Bpecies from their wintry torpor, for two snakes have been seen on the wriggle in this locality. One of the reptiles, a thin dark brown one about a foot and a half in length, was dispatched on tho range, and on its beiug closely examined it was discovered that midway between the liea<3 and tail it had a small finlike projection a little over a quarter of an inch in length on either side. We have on several occasions seen snakes in the district similar in color and size to the one in question, but we have never before seen one with fins. Whether this is a lusus natures or not we are unable to state, but it is regarded as a curiosity by others to whom it has been' shown. .$ Holloway's Pills ajtd Ointment* — The moat effectual cure for G-out and Rheumatism. A frequont cause of these complaints is in the inflammatory stateof the blood, which usually attends bad digestion, producing lassitude, and grei&t debility, thereby indicating the want of a proper circulation of that fluid, and the impurity of the blood thus induced greatly aggravates theae disorders. Holloway's Pills are of bo purifying a nature, that a dose taken ir. timo are an effectual preventive against gout a^d rheumatism, but whoever may have an attack of either should use Hollownr's Ointment also, the sea"ohiug properties of which, combined with the effects of the Pills, ensures a certain cure. Tho Ointment should, at least twice a day be thoroughly rubbed into, the parts affected after they have been sufficiently fomented with warm water to open the pores thereby facilitating the introduction of the Ointment tv the glands.