0Y3TEB CrLTURE COiflllSSlON—MINUTES OP EVIDENCE. 
35 
1124. 
1125. 
Alluvial for the most part. 
no rock there, except down towards the mouth of the 
1127. 
1128. 
river: 
Very 
What oysters there are are very fine, but the 
And the banlca of the river, what are they ? 
There is not much rock there ? There ‘ 
river, where the oysters arc very smail. 
112(>. Arc there many mangrove swamps ? Yes, tlicro arc some on the edge of tlie river. 
Is there much spat attac.iing to them ? There was not much when 1 was there, 
iv.i much spat anywhere, on the banks, in the swamps, or in the bed of the 
little except in the bed of the river, which is very deep. 
1129. Is there much in the bed ot the river? Not much, the floods seem to have destroyed the oyster 
beds to a great extent. 
1130. Then it is not a very good oyster-producin" river? 
floods seem to have destroyed a good many. ^ 
1^00 young oysters going to waste as there are in the Clarence ? No, sir. 
116^. lion. J, B. Wilson.} Is Port Macquarie under lease at present^ Yes 
1133. Chairman.] 1 think it is desirable that we should obtain the fuliest information with regard to these 
rivers and that you should tell us m addition to the area the rent paid for each lease. What is the rent 
payable tor the Clarence Piver? £l8o a year altogether. 
1134. Hon. J, B. TFi/son.] Have you ever heard that Port Macquarie was very famous for its fine oysters 
during previous years ? les. ^ j j 
1135. And the oyster beds you say have been destroyed ? Yes, partly ; and last year and the year before 
1 **‘7 .yo working the beds again this year, and getting a few outers. 
1130. What IS the rent of the Port Macquarie lease ? cC310 per annum 
1137. Chairman.} What is the next river, Mr. Laugham? Camden Haven 
Hon Canidcu Haren ? I should think it was some 2,000 acres or more. 
1139. What IS the nature of its banks and beds? A mud formation generally, and mangroves; and 
there are natural beds of drift oysters ou the bed. *■ ” 
?' any large extent of mangroves ? Yes, a great extent. 
Yes, a great many, 
some of it down. 
you think 'f They have laid down somewhere about a thousand bags : they have 
laid them down on the natural beds. 
1144. Merely to grow and fatten ? Yes. 
1145. But they are not making beds where there wore no beds previously ? No. 
1146. Is there a great deal of this spat going to waste ? Yes. 
1147. And they have the exclusive right to it ? Yes. 
n48 And however valuable it might be to others to laydown for growing .and fattening, no one can touch 
it without their permission ? No. ^ 
1149. Mr. Mfrnell.'] When did you first know the Camden Haven Eiver as an oystcr-produciiK^ river— 
was It many years ago ? It was about two years ago when I first went on to it; I have known that oysters 
were coming from it for the last five or six years. 
1150. Largo numbers of oysters were sent from Camden Haven to the Sydney market, were they not? 
Mr. W. J. 
Langham. 
Yes. 
1151. Is it a fact that the Camden Haven Eiver beds were worked out some years at^o p 
know of. J ^ • 
Not that I 
1152. Are the beds as prolific now as they were some years ago ? There are not near so many oysters in 
them as there were when I first went down there. ^ 
1153. That is two years ago ? Yes. 
1154. Are the lessees over-dredging the beds ? Yes. 
1155. Chairman.} "Who are the lessees ? Mr. Woodward is the lessee. 
1166'. "What rent does he pay ? £170 a year. 
1157. Do you mean by over-dredging that he has removed immature oysters—oysters that are too young? 
No ; but they work the beds hare ; for instance, when there are a quantity of oysters they put five or six 
men on, and when the oysters get scarce they knock the men oft*. When I first went down there w^ere 
four men w'orking there, now there is only one or two at the outside. 
1158. What is the next river, Mr. Langham? The Manning. 
1159. What is the leased area of the Manning? 8,000 or 10,000 acres at the least, I should think or 
more, but I cannot speak with any certainty. ’ 
1160. AVbat is the rent of tho lease? £1,150 a year. 
1161. What are tho banks and bods of the Manning Eiver composed of? Chiefly of mud. 
1162. Are there many mangrove swamps there? Not a groat many. 
1163. Arc there many young oysters there ? No, there are very few as a rule. 
1164. To what do they attach themselves? Chiefly to the beds at the bottom of tho river. 
1165. To tho cultch ? Yes. There arc mangroves on the south side, but not to any great extent, 
1166. Are there many young oysters sticking to tho mangroves ? No, not any groat quantity. 
1167. Who is the lessee? Mr. AVoodward. 
116S. Has he laid down or formed any oyster beds ? No. 
1169. He has done nothing? *No ; only w'orked the natural beds. 
1170. Eeducing the number of oysters upon them ? Yes. 
1171. What is the next river? Capo Hawke. 
1172. AYhat is the area of Cape Hawke ? Prom 2,000 to 3,000 acres, as near as T can guess. 
1173. And what are the banks and beds composed of? Chiefly mud—mud and shell. 
1174. Are there any mangrove swamps? Yes, there is a great deal of mangrove about it. 
1175. Are there many young oysters sticking to them? Yes, in places. 
1176. Who is the lessee of Capo Hawke ? Sir. George Clarke. I shoul 
Lake, and not Cape Hawke. 
1177. Does he make use of any of this spat ? No. ^ 
1178. Has he formed any oyster beds ? No. 
1179. Has he done anything to improve the leased area? No,’he is only working the natural beds. 
1180. And he has made no use whatever of the young oysters ? No. 
1181. AVhat is the next river ? Port Stephens. ' 11^2 
should say that it is known as Wallace 
