186 NEW SOUTH WALES 
with the Karuah River, Telligherry Creek, and half a score of important 
affluents inland, with miles upon miles of beaches fit for seine fishing, 
with an apparently unlimited endowment of the best fish, and with a 
telegraph station within very easy distance, this noble harbour is un- 
questionably destined to become one of the largest factors in the metro- 
politan fish supply of the future. A considerable gang of Chinamen ig 
always located at Nelson Bay, and as soon as one lot returns to its native 
country another takes its place. They catch their own fish here, and 
preserve it after their own detestable fashion. At times these Chinese 
fishermen go out seaward as far as Long Island, where they camp for 
several weeks at a time and catch vast quantities of fish, and might, if 
they chose, catch any quantity of crayfish (the “lobsters” of our fisher- 
men). All the Broughton Island group are singularly favourable by 
their formation for these crustaceans, and the reefs and outlying rocks 
about Cabbage-tree and Boondelbah Islands, off the entrance of Port 
Stephens, and those which lie around Long Island, abound with this 
fish ; but the distance, under the existing régime, is rather too remote 
from market to encourage the development of this, fishery. 
Some 15 miles to the north-east of Long Island are the Seal Rocks, 
and a variety of reefs and rocky patches, all lying within a range of a 
few miles from Sugar-loaf Point, including the “bumbora” known on 
the charts by the name of the “ Edith Breaker.” This is a great country 
for schnapper and black rock cod. Sharks, unfortunately, are rather 
too plentiful ; but there are few fishermen who venture so far from Port 
Stephens as the Seal Rocks, and were it not for the coasters who are 
sometimes becalmed hereabout, and for occasional visitations of the 
Marine Board, little would be known of these grounds. Between Sugar- 
loaf Point and Cape Hawke, another 15 ‘miles further north, there is 
no lack of virgin schnapper grounds, and a few miles beyond Cape Hawke 
is the outlet of the Wallis Lakes,—another series of rather shallow but 
extensive lagoons, similar in general character to those which we have 
already noticed. These lakes teem with the best of net fish, but owing 
to their distance from market enjoy a complete immunity from all 
sources of disturbance except the occasional net of some settler or sawyer. 
The Middle Grounds (South).—This section includes the coast between 
‘Wattamolle—a small boat harbour about 5 miles to the south of Port 
Hacking—and a rather deep indent immediately to the southward of 
Jervis Bay, known as Wreck Bay or Bight. It comprises about the 
same length of coast line as the northern portion of the Middle Grounds 
section, but, with the exception of Lake Illawarra, the Shoalhaven and 
Crookhaven Rivers, Jervis Bay, and St. George’s Basin, possesses few 
inlets or sheltered waters, This deficiency is, however, fully compen- 
sated by the magnificent fishing-grounds of Jervis Bay and the extensive 
banks lying toward the south-eastern corner of Shoalhaven Bight, and 
known as Young Banks. About Stanfield Bay, to the south of the Watta- 
molle boat harbour, some very good schnapper grounds afford fine freights 
in the winter months, but beyond this point no line fish come to the 
Sydney Market, the distance from Sydney being too great for the class 
of fishing-boat employed. Lake Illawarra is fished by nets for the 
Sydney Market with considerable success, the fish being brought to port 
by steamer during the cool season of the year. Schnappers are said to be 
abundant off the Five Islands and other grounds in this neighbourhood, 
