THE AO ni CULT 



V n A /v J U 11 N A L. 



either horse.-iukntss, blue-tongue, or dikk(H). I 

 mention the three diseases because one person 

 calls it the ordinary horsesicknes!*, another blue- 

 tongue, and a third dikkop I think it would be 

 as well if the Principal Veterinary fSurgeon 

 could give us the different symptoms of these 

 three diseases, because it appears to me that 

 there are some who are in a complete fog in the 

 matter. While on this subject I would like to 

 mention that some experienced farmers up- 

 country informed me that when blue-tongue 

 made its appearance amongst the sheep it was a 

 sure sign that horsesickness had commenced too. 

 It would be interesting to know, therefore, if 

 there is any connection between the two diseases, 



and if they have a common origin or are due to 

 the same caus A native came in yesterday to 

 report that nine head of cattle had died at the 

 Ntinibaiikulu of a disease unknown to him. 

 Some of his neighbours were of opinion that it 

 resembled rinderpest. Two other head are still 

 sick. I at once wired to the Principal Veterinary 

 Surgeon to send one of his assistants, so that in 

 a few days we shall know what it really is. Let 

 us hope it is not rinderpest. The rainfall, for 

 the month, to date, has been 1-92 inches, and the 

 highest maximum temperature 80 degrees, on 

 the 2nd inst. 



P. Hugo, Magistrate. 



Trout Fishing in Natal. 



By SYDNEY 



IT will doubtless come as a pleasant sur- 

 prise to a number of anglers in this 

 country that trout fishing is now an 

 accomplished fact, and that under favour- 

 able conditions good baskets of this game 

 and succulent fish can be obtained on the 

 upper waters of the Umgeni and Bush- 

 man's Rivers. This happy result is due 

 to the practical and energetic efforts of 

 Messrs. Cecil Yonge, Hutchinson, and 

 John C. Parker, etc. To Mr. Parker a 

 special meed of praise is due. From the 

 inception of the idea to introduce and pro- 

 pagate trout in the rivers of Natal down 

 to the present date - covering a period of 

 some seven or eight years — he has spent 

 time and money and brought practical 

 experience to bear in the furtherance of 

 this laudable object, and I have not the 

 slightest hesitation in saying that the final 

 success of the undertaking is mainly due 

 to him. 



For some time it has been known to a 

 few enthusiastic anglers that the upper 

 waters of the Umgeni offered good pros- 

 pects of sport, and a fishing trip organised 

 by Messrs. George, Fynney, Watson, Shop- 

 stone, and Gilbert in the early part of this 

 year was so successful in face of unfavour- 

 able conditions, both as regards weather 

 and low state of water, that a suggestion 

 for another and longer trip at Easter met 

 with an enthusiastic response, and in con- 

 nection with this it has occurred to me that 

 it might interest your readers and sports- 

 men generally to have a few particulars of 

 the sport enjoyed and experience gained. 



W. GILBERT. 



Arriving on the camping ground aftei' 

 several vicissitudes, including the up- 

 setting of the wagon, it was not long till 

 camp was pitched. Rods weie put to- 

 gether, and each man left for some 

 favourite pool on the river. From the 

 very beginning it was evident that the 

 sport M'ould be excellent. As the speckled 

 beauties were grassed one after the 

 other, everyone v/as glad to observe the 

 greatly improved condition of the fish, 

 and the water was also in excellent trim, 

 thanks to the copious rainfall of the pre- 

 vious few weeks. On one or two after- 

 noons in particular grand sport was ob- 

 tained, and a basket of fish brought to 

 camp by Mr. Oswald Fynney on one of 

 these favourable occasions would have 

 delighted the heart of even the most 

 surfeited angler in the Old Country ; the 

 catch totalled seventeen fish, weighing 

 15 lbs., all in splendid condition. This 

 proved the largest individual take of the 

 trip. The final bag of IGO for five rods, 

 over a' period of five days, was exceed- 

 ingly gratifying to those who had the 

 good fortune to participate in the sport. 



The Umgeni is a typical trout river, 

 and the fish take the tly as freely and 

 give as good sport as they do at Home ; 

 altered conditions as to climate, etc., do 

 not appear to have changed them in any 

 way, except in the matter of spawning. 

 They do not yet appear to be quite settled 

 as to the proper season to increase and 

 multiply, as fish have been found in 

 spawn all the year round. In this as in 



