196 FISHES 



The second shipment came to Port Chalmers in April, 1869, in 

 the ' Mindora.' (In the Southland Society's pamphlet, Acclimatisation 

 in Southland, published in 1915, this vessel is called the ' Minerva.') 

 The passage occupied 133 days, and the ova never hatched out. 

 Canterbury received 700 ova, Southland 7000, while 100,000 were 

 retained in Otago. There was some hope of them at first, for Mr 

 Dawbin in the letter just quoted from stated that he had about 2000 

 good eggs on 31st May, but nothing came of them. 



In 1871 the Southland Society obtained about 3000 ova from 

 Mr Frank Buckland in furtherance of an experiment. The eggs were 

 packed in bottles surrounded by saw-dust and presumably by ice, 

 and were despatched by saihng ship to Melbourne ; they were delayed 

 in transit to Southland, and none hatched out. 



In 1871 the Auckland Society made an attempt to introduce 

 salmon from England via San Francisco. The experiment failed in 

 consequence of the long detention on the Pacific Railway, and from 

 lack of attention to the ova. The transit occupied 100 days, instead 

 of less than 50, as was anticipated. The ova were presented by the 

 Duke of Northumberland. 



In 1873 the 'Oberon' brought 120,000 salmon ova to Port 

 Chalmers, of which 95,000 were sent down to the Makarewa ponds. 

 Southland, and the remaining 25,000 went to Canterbury. Between 

 the packing of the ova and the unpacking at the Southland ponds, 

 114 days elapsed, and 85,000 were dead. The remainder were placed 

 in the hatching boxes, but only 300 fry hatched out. Most of these 

 died, and the remaining 96 were removed when one year old to a pond 

 near the Aparima River. In April, 1 875 , they were about seven inches 

 long and healthy ; in June they were carried by a flood into the river. 



fish would need. Mr Dawbin's offer to continue his services gratuitously for a 

 term of six months was refused, and he was instructed to hand over his charge 

 to the new-comer. This was too much for one who had devoted his time day and 

 night for fifteen months to the care of the fish. The new-comer's incapacity would 

 almost inevitably have resulted in their destruction ; or, if this had not happened, 

 he would have claimed whatever success might accrue. Impressed with the con- 

 conviction that he was doing the best thing possible in the circumstances for the 

 colony, Mr Dawbin chose a night when a slight fresh was coming down, opened 

 the gratings, and allowed the prisoners to escape into the river. It is not our 

 province to defend Mr Dawbin, but we would ask the commissioners why the 

 circumstances which led up to this are suppressed in their reports, and the colonists 

 whether they approve of the arbitrary substitution of an inexperienced manager for 

 one who had abundantly proved his ability and deserved public confidence ? Since 

 the above events the magnificent breeding ponds on the Waiwera have gone to 

 ruin, as we are informed." (Arthur Nicols, Acclimatisation of the Salmomdce at 

 the Antipodes, p. 49.) 



At p. 87 of the same work, Mr Nicols states: "About the middle of 1874 a 

 salmon grilse weighing more than three pounds, was taken in the river Molyneux, 

 no doubt the offspring of a pair of the 500 smolts liberated in that river in 1869 

 by Mr Dawbin." 



