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in supplying Melbourne, and rofused to supply any hawker who 
bought from the “company’s” boats, and a3 my boats could not 
guarantee a constant supply, my men were stopped. To meet this 
1 established a depot in Melbourne, and put one of their own coun¬ 
trymen to manage it, but instead of confining himself to his own 
business, when he did very well he turned it into a general store. 
On my return from a long exploring voyage 1 found everything 
paralyzed; a regular war by the fishermen generally against my men, 
burning and cutting nets, setting boats adrift, <ic.; the men wore so 
interrupted that they demanded daily wages, and the hawkers de¬ 
manded to be guaranteed a supply, while considerable liabilities had 
been incurred in the store, and its contents distributed on credit to 
all the Highlanders in Melbourne. The crisis of 1843 coming, X 
wound up the fishery and went to the bush, but not before I had 
ascertained to my perfect satisfaction that there was an opening for 
a great national fishery. I would suggest that this pioneer fishing 
company should establish at first, not ten, as they propose, but two 
stations—one at Queeuseliff aud tho other at the eastern entrance of 
Western Port or near it; each, of course, supplied with row boats, 
seines, set nets, drift nets, crab pots, arc.; also appliances for salting, 
drying, and smoking, and in due time preserving fish in tins—the 
modern substitute for salting. Each station should have one, or 
perhaps two, trawling cutters, or, rather, fore-and-aft schooners, as 
being more easily handled, and first-rate sea-boats, so as to hold their 
own in any weather. They would thus be able to employ their men 
in almost any weather, in any wind, and at all seasons, either inside 
or outside the Heads, and, in case of a large take, could always secure 
the surplus. In the sehnapper fishing, alone, they would have a 
stand-bye that would secure them a profit; the hawkers aud salesmen 
now object to this fish on account of its weight in proportion to the 
profit upon it, and only the smaller sizes are acceptable. Now these 
are not suitable for salting, but a company could keep the curers 
and preservers in tins going with the large fish, sending the smaller 
to Melbourne with the general take; in the same way, when the cutter 
is not trawling she can lay-to on tho banks and fill herself with 
sclinapper and rock-cod, either to cure on board or preserve on 
shore, besides keeping the men employed in the winter when fish 
have left the bay for the deep water. They should strictly confine 
themselves to their own particular business on the sea aud tho beach • 
they must certainly establish a means of rapid communication with 
the railway, but even that they should do by contract, if there is no 
public conveyance ; sell the fresh fish in the public market, and the 
rest through an agent, until the business is in full working order, 
when they may extend it as they please, and more particularly and 
legitimately by curing the fish caught by other boats. Lot them be 
content at first with plain bush buildings ; they are cheap, and will 
serve for years. Companies generally neglect their men; it is a great 
mistake in any business, but more particularly in a fishery, as it is 
