OYSTER-INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 273 



I mention them here, it is not to detract in the least from what was then 

 accomplished. My sole purpose is to show that the probabilities in 

 favor of the successful acclimation of oysters and clams are very great, 

 since they have lived for seventeen months in the waters of the Mauche 

 quite as thriftily as if they were on their native beds. 



By the close of the year 1861 these two important facts were satisfac- 

 torily established : first, that the mollusks in question can easily bear 

 transportation across the Atlantic; and, secondly, that our salt waters 

 do not appear to affect them unfavorably. The number of specimens 

 was not sufficient to warrant the planting of them in bays; beside, all 

 the species with which it was desirable to experiment had not survived 

 to reach Europe. These two reasons induced M. Coste to request your 

 excellency to send me to the United States, not only to bring back a 

 large number of mollusks, but also to examine into the conditions essen- 

 tial to their healthy growth ; to investigate the nature of the soil and 

 the character of the waters in which they live ; and, in short, to obtain 

 information upon every point which might insure the success of the 

 enterprise. I was also ordered to examine everything connected with 

 the oyster-industry; and, in compliance with these instructions, I sailed 

 from Liverpool, on the 29th of March, for New York, by the steamer 

 Asia. 



Owing to circumstances beyond my control, my departure, which 

 ought to have taken place in February, had been delayed ; so that on 

 my arrival in America I was obliged (as my commission embraced but 

 two months) to arrange matters so as to return to Europe by the middle 

 of June, a season of the year when transportation is difficult on account 

 of the excessive heat. As I was in possession of very uncertain infor- 

 mation with regard to the best manner of treating the mollusks, I thought 

 it the wisest plan, in order to take them safely across the Atlantic, to 

 ask the advice of competent persons in the country ; and it may be well 

 to say that every one to whom I mentioned the subject predicted a fail- 

 ure if I made the attempt during warm weather. 



In view of an opinion so decidedly expressed, and after consultation 

 with the consul-general of France, I concluded to dispatch immediately 

 a number of the mollusks, by the steamer Asia, whose captain, a very 

 intelligent gentleman, had offered me his co-operation. 



On the 23d of April, I put on board the steamer 3,000 of the Venus 

 mercenaria, and 600 of Virginia oysters, gathered from beds in New 

 York Bay. Some time after this I sent 2,000 of the Venushy the Persia, 

 the fleetest vessel of the Cunard line. Your excellency will permit me 

 to observe in this connection, that the discontinuance of the transat- 

 lantic Havre line of steamers, the vessels of which were required by the 

 Federal Government for the exigencies of the war then in progress, 

 disarranged my plans, and forced me to send my collections by way of 

 England ; so that the probabilities of failure in the transportation of 



the shell-fish were greatly increased. 

 18 F 



