THE CALIFORNIAN SALMON. 
151 
hands were ready to prevent an upset, by holding on to 
the waggon, and pushing it up the steep ascents that had 
to be surmounted. Mr. Eishbourne accompanied us, and 
we all went on foot, but he kindly insisted on my taking 
his horse, which he got out of his stable in passing. After 
some heavy work in getting through the forest, and along 
the railway line, we reached the Little Moe, and on ascer- 
taining that the water was good, by tasting it, I examined 
the cans, and changed the water in those in which there 
were dead fish. "W e could then see the smoke of the other 
train at a distance, near the end of Messrs. Noonan’s 
contract, and coming up to meet us. 
I poured out the water through a small net, which 
detained the fish, and the living ones drafted themselves 
out very speedily, by leaping off the net into a can ready 
placed to receive them. On the dead fish being counted, 
there were about 950, leaving between 1600 and 1700 fish 
which were lively and well. Erom this point onward, all 
the way to the Snowy River, only four fish died out of the 
number left, being a much better result than I had 
expected, and although they were much fewer than I 
wished to send, there were still enough to stock the rivers 
they were intended for, in a way to give the experiment a 
fair trial. 
It was sunrise when we again started, and although the 
engine seemed near, it took a long time to get up to it, 
owing to the bad roads ; and the waggon was at last forced 
to stop, the fish-cans, ice, &c., being carried about half a 
mile to the railway. A party had come out by the train 
from the Moe to meet the salmon, and although the hands 
of some were more used to the pen, than to carrying 
burdens, by their willing assistance we got the fish safely 
into the Government van attached to Messrs. Noonan’s 
engine, and steamed away at a rate of speed that 
