OTSTEE CULTUEE COMMISSIOIT—iiPPEirDIX. 
55 
power of the bed. This is tlie actual condition of the beds as revealed by the tongs, which is the only implement by which it 
can effectually and readily be done. The dredge for this purpose is utterly useless, and in muddy water the watcr-tclescopc is 
little better, while diving is out of the question. 
3. — 
(u) Banks of the whole of the lower estuary, creek, and lake are composed of a compact, unctuous, blackish soil 
—alluvium and decomposed vegetable matter—seemingly by aqueous agency hardened into rock, on a portion of 
eastern side of lake, and about tlie South Head, but not all of a uniform state of hardness, and coloured 
according as the white sea-sand more or less predominates. 
(h) The beds both under clutch and free of eitlier oyster or clutch are invariably composed of said soil and sand 
(Specimen 2), save tho wave-drift sands at river's entrance, which arc said to shift every tide. But further 
up river, only in floods, and not always then, do the beds of the more compact mixture shift, but every freshet 
adds to them, while both in oyster creek and lake no perceptible difference has bocu noticed during tho last 
fifteen years by cither residents or aborigines. 
(o) Only observed in patches in deep water, in the narrow channels running between the more solid oyster-beds and 
oyster-grounds, which latter, in many places a-wasli at half-tide, are largely intermixed with broken shell over the 
wide extent of the lake, and all this ground possesses apparently the highcT^t fattening properties. 
4. Salt-marshes are niuncrous ; indeed all the land on the creek portion of Xumba Ouveriiment reserve, that on opposite 
side, and about two-thirds of tliat surrounding the lake, may be termed such, a« none of it is more than a few inches above 
ordinary tides, and most of it covered at high springs, while several depressions admit every tide over considerable areas ; in 
fact, partially over hundreds of acres, especially at lake-end of creek, with not a tree or bnsh on it, but densely covered with 
common marsh grass, and the depressions with rank aquatic vegetation ; all which is admirably suited for culture by means of 
trenches, including Freebum Island, lower portion of (xoodwood, and all the islands in tlie north lower arm, as marked in 
t^ing, all being uuseiccted. 
5. Very few are mature; all, or nearly all, aged two years and under. The quality Is good. Size of bed marked in 
tracing. 
6. Tho quantity formerly abundant on both sides of crock, said to have been 8 or more feet liigb, and 20 to 30 wide ; 
arc rapitlly diminisJiing, under the pressure of high prices obtained. The few beds on reserve, lying back from convenient 
reach, will soon be attacked if n prohibition, strictly enforced, be not at once issued, for nothing else can save such an essential 
element in the future develojuncnt of the fishery, and nothing can replace it. 
7. There are neither spat on oyster, nor oysterlcss clutch beds in creek, main river, north arm, nor lake, and 
comparatively few year-old oyster, though abundance of two-year old ; hence I conjecture that last year wiis a poor crop, 
and spawning has not yet taken place; bub, as Mr. Fraiscr says, the oyster begins to show signs of its approach. F^m what 
I observed on 8ca-d> ke, and signs I could not account for in the Richmond, my belief in the uniformity of species and 
similarity of habits of rock or tidal-oyster and drift or under-water oyster, whatever it may l>e in other countries, is snmewhat 
shaken in at least those two rivers, and perhaps Fraiser is correct; at any rate T shall require to sec more, and examine their 
respective habits mi)ro fully, before I am disposed either to afliriu or contradict; but 1 must say that his view of tho case 
would completely account for whatever apparent anomaly exists in the spawning of oysters. However, a good microscope is 
necessary, and a patient investigation of their respective habits continued for at least a season or two, in order to satisfactorily 
settle the point. 
8. Holding the above view, I agree with Mr. Fraiser as to a close season, and the time he specified, for although very 
curious anomalies, judged by quadruped breeding, occur in pisciculture, yet shore-oysters, breeding all the year round, can 
afford no good objection to the real oyster beds being closed sufficiently long fo protect them during their legitimate spawning 
and spat maturing season. 
Sr/etrinff to Memorandum .—Every one of the betU and patches, both in Richmond and Clarence, are in every sense of 
the word commercially payable, at a relatively proportionate rent, however bare the oyster on them, and with the experience 
niention(Kl by Fraiser, corroborated by reliable evidence of other residents respecting the amazing recuperative power and 
productiveness of the lake-bed and its ramifications, the oystcrless shell beds, barring tho crop, is of equal commercial value 
to any oyster-bed, as that ease fully proves ; jt is only when the bed is destroyed that such is comparatively valueless. 
1 arrived at the Clarence Heads from Richmond 3rd December evening; experienced much difficulty iu conveying my 
implements through the bush. 
I obtained much useful information from Mr. Black, fourteen years resident at Yamba, a freeholder of laud and lessee of a 
run abutting on creek and lake, constantly visiting those parts, therefore in a position to observe what was transpiring during 
that pcrioil; also from other intelligent residents and aborigines. He, in common with others all more or less interested in the 
good management of the fishery, expressed dissatisfaction that tho mode of leasing precluded the residents of the district from 
acquiring leases, and that the district derives no benefit whatever such as should naturally flow from so productive a fishery. 
And in respect of engaging in (he culture thereof if the opportunity were now afforded, it seems to me tliat having 
witnessed closely matters connected therewith under five years* occupation by an energetic lessee, thereby having their former 
somewhat hazy notions of the commercial value thereof corrected, not one of those to whom I s^kc on the subject but 
expressed a strong desire to lease either oyster-grounds or marsh of moderate extent for the purpose of culture,—especially 
under fifty or sixty years tenure and reasonably encouraging conditions as to rent and restrictions; and all of them added that 
a close-season for the protection of breeding would be indispensable. 
In conclusion, I may venture to point out that, although nothing could be more courtotjus and kind than the bearing of 
all tho people at the beds, as well as tliat of every resident I met, nor could information bo more cordially given nor opinions 
more freely expressed, as soon as my mission was made knoam ; nevertheless I was really at a disadvantage, and extra labour 
enforced and toe lost, by not being in a position to convene by some sort, of authorized moans the residents in numbers, in 
order that the object of the mission and the useful results which tho Commissioners have in view might to all at once be 
more dearly and perfectly explained than was possible to each individually. 
If I ajiprchond aright the nature or spirit of my instnietions, ^vritten and verbal, they strongly impose tho duty of 
accurately ascertaining whatever information residents of any particular fishery district may possess relative to the beds, 
together with an expression of opinion as to mode of management, under a leasing system, most suitable to that district, the 
culture of its beds, and general development of the fishery. If so, then I humbly submit the surest means to obtain such 
would bo to invite by public notice a few leading residents to convene on a given day those interested iu the matter or 
capable of giving information. Then an.swcrs and opinions openly o:^rcsscd would give morC general satisfaction, and any 
report of mine thus backed would inspire more confidence and be in every respect more iLseful, and above all, such course 
would remove individual distrust,—a not unusual feature in country life,—and tend to secure greater interest in the subject. 
I hjivc, &c., 
A. B. BLACK. 
BELLENGER RIVER FISHERY. 
1. In 1868 first dredged by two men in partnership—of whom one James Pettit, now in Pilot Service here, I get this 
information, and is an intelligent man. Mis evidence enclosed separately. These men found four bods: 1st. At Ferry mouth, 
off south ann. 2nd. Tlircc miles up south arm. 3nl. Creek running through island in main branch. 4th. Ix>wer end Bur- 
cliolls Island, thence ridge running down left sideof river. Said Pettit says—1st bed. Oj'sters in clumps, singly and somewhat 
apart could be picked up at low water, hence was well skinned. 2nd bed. From 8 to 16 feet low water, running in a ridge 
about 30 fcHJt wide, bulging to 50 or 00 feet hero and there, and about 1 mile in length, running irregularly from side to side 
of tho soutli arm—a creek about 21 chains wide, 'ffiiis bed was densely packed in clumps of five or six oysters each, and five 
or six clumps deep. Hod to weight tho bow dredge heavily in order to make an impression. Got in all, he thinks, about 1,500 
bags, much of wliicli was sjwiled, as ofteu vesstda wore weeks bar-bound ; therefore made relatively little ; skinned the bed how¬ 
ever. 3rd. bed. Dry—save narrow channel at half-obb. In single clumps in said channel, clumps eight to twelve attached, but a 
single layer only, i.e., not superimposed as in 2nd bed. This, on account of shallow water was as well skinned as bed J»o. 1, pro¬ 
duced about 500 bags. 4th bed. Water 8 to 18 feet low water, and in a strong tideway, oysters mostly single on large pebbles, and 
therefore 
