28 THE ACCLIMATISATION 



of 9 ft. Nothing could prevent the wasting 

 of the ice, but the ova would get the benefit 

 of it as long as it lasted. They would rest 

 as securely as might be on their mossy bed, 

 the charcoal would absorb the gases of de- 

 composition, and the living moss would 

 probably give out some little oxygen for 

 their benefit. Mr. W. Eamsbottom took 

 charge of the consignment ; the vessel 

 sailed on the 21st of January, 1864, and 

 arrived at Melbourne on the 15th of April, 

 where the ice-house was first opened, and, 

 to the intense satisfaction of all concerned, 

 three-fourths of the ice was intact, and a 

 very large proportion of the ova in a box 

 tested found to be in splendid condition. 



The problem was then solved. After 

 years of trial and failure and patient experi- 

 ment, living salmon ova had been landed 

 in Australia. The colony of Melbom-ne re- 

 tained about 4000 salmon ova (of which 400 

 were afterwards hatched), and the rest, with 

 the trout intended by Mr. Youl to be left at 

 Melbourne, were sent on to Hobart Town 

 by a government steamer secured for the 



