﻿386 
  Transactions. 
  — 
  Zoology. 
  

  

  Fisli 
  were 
  in 
  fair 
  supply 
  during 
  May, 
  except 
  during 
  a 
  few 
  days 
  of 
  

   stormy 
  weather. 
  Some 
  exceptionally 
  large 
  Flounders 
  were 
  caught 
  on 
  

   the 
  7th 
  ; 
  on 
  the 
  8th, 
  a 
  fine 
  Snapper 
  ; 
  and 
  towards 
  tlie 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  month 
  

   Trevally 
  were 
  very 
  plentiful. 
  

  

  June 
  was 
  a 
  month 
  of 
  very 
  severe 
  weather 
  all 
  through, 
  but 
  with 
  the 
  

   exception 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  days 
  the 
  supply 
  was 
  good 
  and 
  sometimes 
  plentiful. 
  

   On 
  the 
  19 
  Ji, 
  a 
  solitary 
  Barracoota 
  was 
  caught 
  in 
  a 
  net 
  in 
  the 
  Lower 
  

   Harbour. 
  A 
  market 
  for 
  the 
  sale 
  of 
  fish, 
  etc., 
  was 
  the 
  subject 
  of 
  some 
  

   discussion 
  during 
  the 
  month. 
  

  

  Ju'y 
  was 
  characterised 
  by 
  a 
  continuance 
  of 
  fine 
  clear 
  frosty 
  weather 
  

   nearly 
  all 
  through 
  the 
  month, 
  winding 
  up 
  with 
  a 
  snowstorm 
  on 
  the 
  last 
  

   day. 
  The 
  great 
  feature 
  of 
  the 
  month 
  was 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  Frostfish 
  which 
  

   were 
  brought 
  to 
  town 
  in 
  greater 
  or 
  less 
  number 
  for 
  20 
  days. 
  They 
  were 
  

   mostly 
  brought 
  from 
  the 
  beaches 
  between 
  Bluesldn 
  and 
  the 
  Heads, 
  and 
  

   formed 
  quite 
  a 
  small 
  harvest 
  to 
  the 
  younger 
  settlers 
  along 
  that 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  

   coast, 
  as 
  pretty 
  fair 
  prices 
  were 
  given 
  for 
  them 
  by 
  the 
  dealers, 
  who 
  resold 
  

   them 
  at 
  prices 
  ranging 
  from 
  five 
  to 
  ten 
  shillings 
  each. 
  

  

  In 
  accorJance 
  with 
  the 
  wish 
  of 
  the 
  President 
  and 
  others, 
  expressed 
  at 
  

   the 
  time 
  I 
  read 
  the 
  paper 
  last 
  year, 
  I 
  v/rote 
  to 
  Mr. 
  Traill, 
  of 
  Stewart 
  

   Island, 
  for 
  particulars 
  as 
  ito 
  the 
  state 
  of 
  the 
  trade 
  there, 
  but 
  I 
  never 
  

   received 
  any 
  reply. 
  However, 
  I 
  am 
  able 
  to 
  give 
  the 
  following 
  statistics 
  as 
  

   to 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  boats 
  and 
  men 
  engaged 
  in 
  the 
  trade 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  time, 
  

   August 
  7th, 
  1878 
  :— 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  engaged 
  in 
  the 
  fishing, 
  outside 
  of 
  the 
  Heads, 
  9 
  whale-boats 
  

   and 
  2 
  cutters, 
  employing 
  about 
  30 
  men. 
  In 
  the 
  Harbour 
  or 
  seining 
  branch 
  

   there 
  are 
  16 
  boats 
  and 
  about 
  40 
  men 
  engaged. 
  At 
  Port 
  Chalmers 
  there 
  are' 
  

   two 
  smoke-houses 
  with 
  four 
  men 
  to 
  each. 
  At 
  Stewart 
  Island 
  I 
  have 
  

   learned 
  there 
  are 
  tvTO 
  smoke-houses, 
  and 
  about 
  30 
  men 
  engaged 
  in 
  

   boating, 
  etc. 
  

  

  Hoping 
  that 
  the 
  figures 
  and 
  facts 
  I 
  have 
  drawn 
  together 
  may 
  be 
  of 
  

   gome 
  use 
  to 
  the 
  members, 
  I 
  now 
  bring 
  my 
  three 
  years' 
  task 
  to 
  a 
  conclusion. 
  

  

  Aet. 
  LIIL 
  — 
  Ths 
  District 
  of 
  Okarito, 
  Westland. 
  By 
  A. 
  Hamiltonj 
  

   [Read 
  before 
  the 
  Westland 
  Institute, 
  l&th 
  July^ 
  1878.] 
  

   The 
  Okarito 
  district 
  comprises 
  a 
  large 
  area 
  of 
  comparatively 
  unknown 
  

   ground, 
  as 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  settlements 
  which 
  have 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  or 
  another 
  

   existed 
  on 
  it, 
  have 
  been 
  either 
  on 
  the 
  sea-coast 
  or 
  on 
  the 
  river-beds. 
  The 
  

   sole 
  attraction 
  to 
  settlers 
  having 
  been 
  the 
  " 
  Auri 
  sacra 
  fames,'' 
  agriculture 
  

   ]ias 
  been 
  comparatively 
  neglected, 
  though 
  tnany 
  excellent 
  areas 
  of 
  ground 
  

  

  