158 FISH. 



for the form and cleanliness of their shells and 

 their delicacy of flavour, superior to the oysters 

 obtained amidst the storms of the northern coast. 

 The initiation of the government has not been 

 thrown away, a company comprising 120 capita- 

 lists and 1200 sailors and fishermen of the region, 

 have formed a fish farm covering 4CO hectars (2 

 acres each) of the banks, which is prospering as 

 brilliantly as are the government farms, and will 

 suffice to raise all employed upon it to a position 

 of ease and comfort. In the He de Re, off the 

 shore of Lower Charente, in the Bay of Biscay, 

 several thousand fishermen and peasants have 

 taken possession of a stretch of muddy shore, 

 nearly four leagues long, between Point de Rim- 

 doux, and Point de Lome, which they have trans- 

 formed into an immense oyster field. These peo- 

 ple have already 1500 oyster parks in full bearing ; 

 their example is being followed by others, and, 

 ere long, the entire island bids fair to be encircled 

 by a hill of oyster farms. 



The establishment of these farms presented pe- 

 culiar difficulties on account of the depth of the 

 flooring of mud, which had to be cleared away 

 before the oysters could be planted, and also of 



