22 
could be let in a series of small lioldino-s. While it is pos- 
sible to satisfactorily do the work from Holy Island, there 
can I venture to think be no ouestion that a base should be 
formed on the mainland. The scaup could be reached with 
greater ease. A descent could be made with the ebb tide 
when the scaup Avas being' exiiosed and the return could be 
made with the help of the flowing tide Avhen the scaup was 
being’ coA^ered again. The mussels furthermore could be 
carted to the nearest station Avithout having to take them 
over from the island. If at any time sea transit were to be 
resorted to, the fishing boats could be taken up to the mussel 
beds, or the mussels could be removed by smaller boats to 
HoIa’ Island harbour. 
With this in AueAv I have sur\^eyed the Avhole of the shore 
region of the Flats from the Old LaAv to the ford opposite 
Beal. The streams which enter the slake are small and of 
little or no use. At their points of entrance to the Flats they 
have to traverse a Avide expanse of mud, Avhich renders the 
regions concerned imnaAngable except Avith shalloAv-bottomed 
boats and then only Avhen the tide is in. On the other hand, 
the streams from the mainland and from the slakes all com- 
bine around the area knoAvn as the scaup to form a deep and 
Avide stretch of Avater navigable by boats Avith a draft of 
several feet eA^en at Ioaa’ tide. All this points to the base 
being at some coiiA’enient place on the edge of the Ford links, 
as near the scaup as practicable, and Avhere an adequate 
supply of good spring Avater may be obtained. So far as I 
can see there Avill be no difficulty Avith regard to this latter. 
I have in the previous report drawn attention to the 
important fact that there are no se Avers leading into the 
slake. But tlie Avhole region next the mainland except just 
near the Old Law, is coA^ered by mud, that is to say there is a 
broad belt of mud around the shore side of the Flats. It is 
an area, in fact, Avhich if it Avere important enough could be 
Avith comparative ease reclaimed. There must be a good 
deal of putrefaction in this belt around the shore. But 
Avhether this is the reason or not, it is the case that Avhen the 
mussels assemble some degree of mud together Avith weed, 
they lose that purity Avhich our first experiences of trans- 
plantation led us to expect Avould be continued. Hp to about 
January the mussels gaA^e excellent results from the analyses 
made by Hr. Klein, but during the Avinter, as the Aveed 
