148 NEW SOUTH WALES 



descinbing its various appearances in Port Phillip, says : — " After 

 remaining for a few weeks they disappeared, until the same time in 

 1866, when they arrived in such countless thousands that carts were 

 filled with them by simply dipping them out of the sea with large 

 baskets. Hundreds of tons were sent up the country to the inland 

 markets, and through the city for several weeks they were sold for a 

 few pence the bucketful, while the captains of the ships entering the bay 

 reported having passed through closely packed shoals of them for miles." 



This fish is salted and smoked in some parts of Ncav Zealand, and 

 the highest awai'd of excellence was adjudged a few days ago at the 

 International Exhibition in the Garden Palace to the Picton bloaters 

 prepared from this very fish. No attempt has been made in this Colony 

 at any time we believe to make any use of this fish, and yet there are 

 none which would yield to a little enterprise a more certain return. 

 Even for oil and manure it would pay well to fish for them on a large 

 scale. The " menhado " (also a kind of herring) fishery, on the coast of 

 Maine, which is conducted solely for the production of oil was valued 

 in 1873 at £325,000, of which £200,000 was derived from the oil and 

 £125,000 from manure. But the " maray " seems fitted for a higher 

 destiny than oil or manure, — the size, quality, and delicacy of this fish 

 point it out as a worthy substitute for the sardine. The process of 

 preserving fish in this way is very simple, and is thus described by Mr. 

 Simmonds, in the " Commercial Products of the Sea," in his chapter on 

 the sardine fishery of the Mediterranean : — " Brought to land they are 

 immediately offered for sale, as if staler by a few hours they become 

 seriously deteriorated in value, no first-class manufacturer coming to 

 buy such. They are sold by the thousand ; the curer employs large 

 numbers of women, who cut off the heads of the fish, wash and salt 

 them. The fish are then dipped into boiling oil for a few minutes, 

 arranged in various sized tin boxes tilled up with the tinest olive oil, 

 soldered down and placed in boiling water for some time to test the 

 boxes, those which leak being put aside. It does not always seem to be 

 remembered that the longer the tin is kept unopened the more mellow 

 do the fish become, and if properly prepared, age improves them, as it 

 does good wine ; but if they are too salt at first, age does not benefit 

 them — they always remain tough." The value of the sardine trade to 

 France is about £700,000 per annum. 



The maray must be caught in the open sea, as it does not, except by 

 accident, enter our harbours. The fishing will require therefore to be 

 conducted with drift nets, such as ai-e used for herrings in the North of 

 Scotland, or better still, by the purse seine, described on previous page. 



The approach of the shoals from the south should in this case, as with 

 the mullet, be watched and signalled. 



There are other herrings on the coast capable of being utilized to an 

 equal or even greater extent than the " maray," but the processes of 

 catching and curing would be the same. 



The mackerel visits our shores at intei'vals in very large shoals, so 

 does the "tailor" and a host of other fishes, all of which may ultimately 

 become special and important fisheries, for salting or other purposes, but 

 at present the development of the most obviously useful kinds is all that 

 can well be attended to. 



