I 1 20 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



and revocable at the first requisition by the administration, 

 without compensation.' 



Spoken like an optimist, and quoted equally in the 

 partial spirit of which he accuses me. Had he continued 

 the quotation he would have found that " The 30 or 50 

 francs per ' hectare,' or 2^- acres, paid, is also liable to be 

 diminished, or brought up to those figures, according to 

 the value of the ground for breeding, and it is let in terms 

 of five years. Practically, these reservations do not apply, 

 unless there be proof that the first ' concessionaire ' has 

 been useless, when his neighbour can step in and farm 

 successfully where the first has failed ;" and thus have 

 answered himself. But the best reply to the optimist 

 (and even to the pessimist in some instances) is that 

 " The mind is like a sheet of white paper in this, that the 

 impressions it receives the oftenest, and retains the longest, 

 are black ones." 



However, it were perhaps as well for me to take a 

 hint even from an opponent, and moderate my censure 

 against the Legislature, or cease censuring altogether, for 

 attacks of this nature, however agreeable to himself, or 

 forcibly expressive of the feelings of an author, they are 

 seldom or never successful unless stamped by genius, or 

 favoured by the force of circumstance. And so, this truth 

 being self-evident, I can only exclaim with Hamlet 

 " The time is out of joint ; O cruel spite, 

 That ever I was born to set it right !" 



Nevertheless, if, with respect to our inefficient system 

 of oyster culture, my humble endeavour to rouse public 

 attention thereunto cannot succeed in setting the ostracul- 

 tural dislocated joint of time, I have at least the hope of 

 teaching other and abler men than myself to make the 

 attempt. 



