On the Murray River Cod. 25 



necessary day. In looking abroad over the earth, Nature 

 seems to have been lavish in the supply of her various gifts, 

 but singularly capricious in their adjustment ; or rather she 

 has properly and kindly left to man the interesting and agree- 

 able task of supplementing her own efforts, of discovering 

 by experiment and the action of his own intellect how far 

 the gift itself may be multiplied, extended, and improved. 



I must here confess my profound sorrow that no Govern- 

 ment that this Colony has yet possessed has shown much 

 inclination to do anything to further or assist this interesting 

 process. It has long since been incessantly urged upon them 

 that agriculture should be made a State department, and that 

 experimental farms and gardens should be established, in 

 which every plant, as well as every animal, that could possi- 

 bly be found suitable to the colony should be fairly tested, 

 and introduced by direct contact to the inhabitants at large. 

 I trust this will not long be so. It is a duty, whether in our 

 individual or collective capacity, to endeavour to multiply 

 sources of comfort, enjoyment, and profit ; and I cannot con- 

 ceive why a duty at once so sacred and so agreeable should 

 be so frequently ignored by those who have the power most 

 signally to serve us. 



It was by convictions such as these that I have been led to 

 endeavour to reduce to practice what I think must be 

 allowed to be unquestionably true in theory. We are rather 

 given to talk too much, and do too little ; and I confess that I 

 have long yearned to secure practical effect to what, without 

 individual action, is rather too apt to dwindle into resultless 

 theory. People in this Colony have been talking, ever since 

 I came to it, of introducing the alpaca. The last news from 

 Adelaide acquaints us with the fact that, while we have 

 talked, a Mr. Haigh of that city has acted, and has just suc- 

 ceeded in importing four healthy animals of this kind. Per- 

 haps the example may be of service. But I for one must 

 confess my little appreciation of the man of many words and 

 little deeds. 



If any of those I now address will take boat at Princes 

 Bridge, and pull up as far as the river is navigable, they will 

 observe on most fine days, but particularly in the morning 

 and evening, and on holidays, an almost continuous line of 

 anglers, of all sorts, sizes, and conditions of men. The only 

 fish these sportsmen catch, consist, I believe, of a few her- 

 rings and black fish, with an occasional eel. The idea has 

 often struck me that it is a great pity that they have not 



