844 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



magnitude; but "svhen, in addition, it is considered llo^y great are the 

 benetits in an economic point of view that must result li-om the successful 

 establishment of so valuable a food-lish as the salmon in our rivers, it 

 is difficult to estimate the extent of our obligations to Professor Uaird 

 and his coadjutors on the Fish Commission, or to x)lace too high a value 

 on their active and zealous co-operation. 



In the next place, special acknowledgments are due to Mr. J. 0. Firth, 

 the president of the society. TTpon this gentleman de^'olved the whole 

 of the arrangements for the reception of the ova and the transshii)ment 

 of the portions intended for the Southern Provinces and Australia. 

 Special expeditions were also made by him to the Puuiu and IMauga- 

 kahia Eivers, for the purpose of depositing the ova; and he has person- 

 ally attended to the distribution of the fry hatched in the Domain lish- 

 house. The entire cost of the transit of the ova from San Francisco, 

 and its distribution throughout the colony, together with that of the 

 journeys alluded to and all other expenses connected with the Auck- 

 land portion, have been also defrayed by Mr. Firth, so that the consign- 

 ment has been absolutely without cost to the society. The council are 

 con\inced that but for Mr. Firth's energetic labors and careful oversight 

 the enterprise could not have resulted in so satisfactory a manner. 



Thanks are also due to the following gentlemen, many of whom have 

 afforded valuable assistance: To Messrs. Cross & Co., Mr. Edwin 

 Hooper, and Mr. E. J. Creighton, who attended to the shipment of the 

 ova at San Francisco; to the Pacific Mail and Union Steamship Com- 

 panies, who very liberally made no charge for freight ; to Captain Dear- 

 born and the officers of the City of Sydney, for the care bestowed on the 

 ova during the voyage to Auckland ; to Captains Kennedy and Mac- 

 Gillivray, with their chief officers, Messrs. Cromarty and Gerrard, for 

 similar attentions on board the Eotorua and Wanaka; to Mr. G. S. 

 Cooper, under colonial secretary, who afforded valuable assistance in 

 many ways ; to ]Mr. W. Seed, the secretary to the customs, who kindly 

 gTanted the use of a steam-launch to convey the ova foi" the Mangakahia 

 Eiver ; to Mr. A. V. Macdonald, the railway officials, and the Waikato 

 Steam Navigation Company, who gave every assistance in their power 

 towards the conveyance of the Waikato portion of the consignment, 

 making no charge for transit; to the i^roprietors of the steamers Dur- 

 ham and Euby, for the free conveyance of the young salmon to the 

 Thames Eiver ; to Messrs. J. H. Smith, Tremain ; A. Kay, E. IMitch- 

 elson, Uloth ; INIajor Jackson, Cowan; D. McGregor, H. Wilson, J. Wil- 

 son, Waymouth; Captain Lowrie, and many others, for their hearty 

 assistance in contributing to the success of the enterprise. 



A pleasing feature, and one worthy of record, is the great interest 

 taken in salmon importation by many of the Maories. It has already 

 been mentioned that a share of the ova was forwarded to the Puniu 

 Eiver at the special invitation of the eminent Kgatimaniapoto chieftain, 

 Eewi, not very long ago engaged in open warfare against the Euiopean 



