94 



brought by the Norfolk/' and I then proceeded to draw certain inferenceB 

 from these circumstauces. 



By the last mail I received from England a letter from Mr. Thomas 

 Johnson in which he assures me that none of the boxes were pat-ked by him, 

 all having been packed by Mr. R. Kamsbottom, assisted by Mr. Youl, and 

 that the initiils upon the boxes had relation only to that portion of the ova 

 which was taken from the fish by Mr. Kamsbottom. In justice to Mr, T. 

 Johnson and Mr. Westal Kamsbottom, therefore, I have now to correct the 

 error contained in my report, and entirely to exonerate them from all blame in 

 reference to the packing. How that error first arose I am unable to ascertain, 

 but my fellow Commissioners and Mr. William Kamsbottom were clearly under 

 the same impression as myself, or they would have called my attention to the 

 mistake long ago. 



As to two facts no doubt can possibly exist, as Dr. OflBcer and Mr. Buckland 

 can both testify, namely, the larger percentage of living ova in the boxes 

 bearing initials, and as to the dead ova in the other boxes being gathered into 

 masses. 



Mr. Yowl, in a letter written to the editor of The Mercury, says that a num- 

 ber of the boxes not initialled were placed at the top of the ice in the ice- 

 house, and were no doubt subjected to far rougher usage whenever the motion 

 of the vessel was great, and that this would account for ihe death and aggre. 

 gation of the ova. This may be so, and it is likely that the ova once dead, 

 and decomposition going on, many of them burst, and their contents spread ig 

 amongst others possibly matted them together, in the manner noticed by Mr. 

 Buckland and myself. 



The Secretary reported on Mr. Allport's authority that several young 

 trout had recently been hatched at the breeding ponds, from trout born 

 and impregnated in the colony, and Mr. Allport had been informed that 

 some had been hatched from those which had been placed in ponds, under 

 Mr. Mc Arthur's care, on the other side of the island. 



The Secretary in calling attention to the section of an Armstrong 

 shell, recentlj^ presented to the Museum, observed it might be interesting 

 to the Fellows present to be informed of the views entertained by Sir W. 

 "Wiseman as to the best method of protecting our port against the attack 

 of an enemy. Sir William thought that this, regard being had to our 

 pecuniary resources, could be best accomplished by the erection of two re- 

 volving iron turrets, shot proof, and armed each with two heavy rifled guns 

 of greater power than any which a hostile cruiser would be likely to carry. 

 The turrets being placed on sites commanding the entire harbor, their fire 

 would destroy any ship approaching near enough to inflict injury on the 

 town. Vessels protected with the heaviest iron armor, and carrying guns 

 of the largest calibre, could alone contend (although at a disadvantage) 

 against such forts, but ships of this kind are perhaps not likely to visit 

 these distant waters. The turret might be rendered still more formidable 

 by having deep earthen embankments thrown up in its front. These 

 should be raised just high enough to present no obstacle to the fire of the 

 g^ns, and would not only aSbrd additional protection, but would so screen 

 the turret that its summit alone — even at moderate distances an almost 

 invisible object to fire at — would be exposed to the enemy. The expense 

 of a turret of this kind would be about £10,000. 



Dr. Agnew further observed that His Excellency the President was in- 

 clined from recent circumstances to think that no defence would be more 

 efi'ective than a steam ram, shot proof from iron plating, and capable of 

 great speed. A vessel of this kind would not necessarily require guns ; 

 when prepared for action she could be guided by a crew of three or four 

 hands, and, if driven at the top of her speed against an enemy's ship, she 

 would inevitably sink her, no matter how heavily she might be protected, 

 or how formidable her armament. 



Mr. Lloyd (K.E.) had no doubt of the efficacy of the steam ram, but he 

 fegjred the expense would be far too great for our means. He did not think 



