AUSTRALIAN FISHES 99 



justification for such opinions, fresh fish being 

 almost unprocurable. There were no fish-shops in 

 the big cities, but fish was intermittently hawked 

 about by Chinamen, who would occasionally put 

 to sea, secure a good catch, and thus manage to 

 pick up a living out of a despised little industry. 



People up-country sometimes procured a dish 

 of eels from the nearest creek or station dam, or a 

 Murray cod from the large rivers, and in Sydney 

 there was always a demand for oysters (easily 

 obtained from the numerous bays and the inlets of 

 its fine harbour), which were largely exported 

 (shelled, in bottles) to Melbourne and Queensland. 

 Imported tinned fish — salmon, cod, ling, bloaters, 

 and sardines — was mostly consumed, although an 

 abundant supply of the live article existed within 

 easy reach. 



The reason of this was lack of enterprise, in 

 plain English laziness, on the part of the colonists, 

 and the cheapness of beef and mutton ; though 

 this more solid dietary was not suitable for a 

 climate whose summer temperature frequently 

 registered 90° in the shade. 



Now all is changed. There are excellent fish- 

 mongers in Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney, and 

 especially in Melbourne, where, at the bottom of 

 Spencer Street, is a fine fish-market with up-to- 



