262. , FISH CUITUEE. 



liament fo grant them, .without any payment or 

 consideration wliatever, about nine square miles of 

 the estuary of the Thames near Heme Bay, in which 

 to breed oysters — a bill having been previously 

 applied for to convert Heme Bay into a port, and 

 refused. The bill next applied for contained all 

 the powers necessary for converting Heme Bay into 

 a port ; but a flavour of oysters was imparted to the 

 scheme to render it palatable to Parliament. Before 

 the committee, however, it was shown that an 

 industry equal to more than it was proposed to ex- 

 pend as actual oyster capital on the fishing ground 

 was already yearly reaped from it by hundreds of 

 poor fishermen. It was demonstrated from specimens 

 that the ground was useless for the purpose it was 

 intended for, as it would not grow oysters. The 

 oysters were wretched things, very small, about an 

 inch thick, and nearly spherical in form, containing 

 the smallest possible modicum of flesh. The thick- 

 ness of the shell evidenced great age. I should 

 incline to the idea that the strong tides which run 

 over the banks have much to do with this unfa- 

 vourable- developmen|, by keeping the oysters con- 

 stantly on the move. Beyond this, it was shown that 

 hundreds of families would be ruined if the flats were 

 granted away, and this without any possible, benefit 



