26 On the Murray River Cod. 



better game, and that the man would do them a great kind- 

 ness, and not only thein, but the countless generations who 

 will come after them, who would put a better prey within 

 their reach than a herring of a few inches long, or a black 

 fish, which rarely reaches a size constituting it properly pre- 

 sentable at table. My thoughts naturally turned immediately 

 upon the Murray River Cod, a fish which grows to an enor- 

 mous size, is very delicate, palatable, and wholesome ; but 

 which, from some unknown reason, is only found in those 

 waters which flow towards the north or west; never in those 

 flowing to the south or east. I could see no reason why this 

 natural law should be irrevocable, and I have for a very long 

 time desired to try the experiment whether this valuable fish 

 would not live and thrive as well in the Yarra, as in any of 

 the waters in which it has been so mysteriously placed. 



For a considerable time I was at a loss how to proceed. 

 My first idea was to get them down by some rapid conveyance 

 from the nearest point of the Loddon or Campaspe, in both 

 which rivers they abound. But I did not feel justified in 

 incurring a very heavy expense, and I also distrusted the 

 length of the journey, and the probable exhaustion of the 

 water in which it was necessary that they should be conveyed. 

 By degrees I came to the conclusion that the best plan would 

 be to trace up the tributaries of the Yarra and Murray 

 respectively to the highest point at which those tributaries 

 could be found united by a practicable road, and to leave to 

 the fish themselves the duty of finding their way down to 

 the larger stream. The King Parrot Creek, in which the 

 fish is readily caught, and which discharges itself into the 

 Goulburn just above Seymour, and the Plenty Biver which 

 runs into the Yarra above Heidelberg, seemed to me the 

 most suitable for the purpose, provided the road across the 

 ranges were available for a light cart. On a recent visit to 

 Yan Yean, I broached the subject to Mr. Sherwin, one of 

 the oldest settlers in that neighbourhood, and got some very 

 valuable information from him. And here I must gratefully 

 acknowledge the services of that gentleman throughout the 

 prosecution of my experiment. From the day I first men- 

 tioned it, Mr. Sherwin has entered into it with the greatest 

 enthusiasm, has warmly co-operated with me in every way, 

 and, residing near the immediate scene of action, has been 

 able to render me invaluable assistance, Mr. M'Lellan, too, 

 a settler on the banks of the King Parrot has lent me very 

 important aid. I found that there was a very passable road 



