OYSTKJi CUXiTl/KE COJSlAtiSSiOJS—ArPKNJDiX. 
61 
portion, ho-v\’eTcr, ]ms escaped witli less damage, as it is, hy reason of dcpUi, shelving nature, and strong tide, ditTicult to dredge. 
In this portion some old oysters arc found, and, considering tile state of the bed, a fair number of Iwo-ycarold oysters, but very 
far from u'linb ought to ho ; for it will take these, as ■well as every other two-ycar-ukl on the iishcry. to pay rent and wage for 
t he two ensuing years, i'ew spat fell last year, and although all liic oysters have now spawned scarcely a sjiat appears anywhere 
on the lishcry. ficurecly had Catti been cleaned out than Scott's Creek b«l was found (as marked.) Clutch, x^chble, small 
boulders, and shell, depth, from 1 to 10 feet, easy to work, barring the boulders. 
resident 
much 
Gralinm a selector, opeuctl a slight passage on top of enclosing sand-bank on spot now the south bar, which the tlood- 
)rtlT increased to a mile wide and down to tho^i’ocky bed—so it ever since has continued. Now, evidently this sudden 
• * ’ ’ ’ - - - - This heavy scour happening just before 
distress. 
water shortlr i..w __— - 
rush of the dammed up water must have iiroduced a heavy scour m south passage. . * - - - i • 
spawning thoroughly cleansed the imssage not only of mud, &c., but also cleaned the clutch-bcd, lu this case composed in most 
slimy matter which prevents 
invigorated by an abundant bi-daily supply of food direct from sea through the new so 
starved by ifio indireel, often iiiterruptod, and never suiUtaeut supply Uirou^h ScoHs 
the new south bar. 
Creek, 
Parents formerly half- 
and recurvation of tide 
through tiic upper end of the south passage coming from the north bar, received in the manner described, and at the proper 
time a full su mlv of all the nutritive cleiuents neeessarv' to enable them to commence the reproductive]iroce33 iii a state oi com¬ 
plete vitality (probably all the more from the deprivation endured until this time), mulor the most hiToimihle circumstances 
possible for the iirodukion of the largest cro]). Consequently w'hat was looked uiion as a sort of by otlicrs, would just 
have been the thing expected by a student of tUeir habits, viz., the covering of every particle of clutch from lowc^r end of 
Lnding. llowcrcr, the bod was of groater extont, and save the spell given (about 18 months) , wlulo closed by proclamation, 
it lias b^n kent bare br constant dredging ever since, bub never so bare as at present. In 1867 Hie bar-bed (as marked) was 
found dull-skinned and left- AUhougli this bed, no doubt, while closed would be tlio safest to work by poachers as quite 
comtitl^to Sturv^^ day-time it is the most troublesome, on aeeonnt of being exposed to the ful sweep of all thopre- 
vailiinr winds winch creates n sea dangerous to dredging for three or four days every week. This, however, lulls at rnglit, and while 
elosed^enables the poacher lo dredge and ship Hie booty before day-break on any vo.sscl lying at the bar bound out. Ihus it was 
this bed was skiniull before it came into lessees’ posses.-iioii. This bar bed has pebble and shell clutch, depth mostly 6 to 8 feet, 
• f „ 1 „ L- 1-) ah'iiinel Pebble clutch is not so liable to injury by dredge as shell, but it isniueb inferior, as 
11 -a nrul in manv parts of soulh passage is the choeolate-colourcd inable, sandy mud rock common to 
a?Ubcrnotltf riv?r: ibanW main river consL. of In equal depth of soil, but of a lighter Jolour than that of most 
of ibeVivers to the norVb nor is it so unctuous as that of south passage, which hilter, however, iii many parts contains good- 
sLhebbTes s^^^^^^^ form the clutch; and I learn also that Ibroughout district Ibm-e is hardly an instance 
^ ^ , , • 1 ! .a. ai.« f.v 19. fr»H. Rnil on tr 
or 
shoals !- , 
abounding in banks iirsaid^rcek tlicrc is the material difference that the run of tide is npt direct, ncitlicr in flood 
noVobr"''iC‘1onnor is Ibrln oif into south jmssage by a heavy drift sand-liank across its entnuK-e, so (hat o-fly the latter 
narl of flood runs fully in, wliile the ebb is similarly retarded, but in hitler portion by the sballoiv oyster and clutch beds 
acrosfilsui pcrcntraniNtbu^^ neither carrying iiKo it an equal quantity of spawn nor food; consequently its oysters are 
across its u] j oal clies in it arc numerous, easily worked, and thoroughly adapted lor culture from end to 
ncithei so ibm da it ‘ „ ei-ally, on oy.ster-beds, fixmi 5 to 6 and 7 feet, runniiiginto 10 and 13 
T :■ 1 ^ M ^ but from opposite saw-mill to reef trap-rock, in bend, (as marked) is a gnleh 
feet ni channel- Ch i, 11 runs a short distance bejond said roof into an uniform flat of 
: fd^%Cl^T o 2 ioe^ up to seeoiul beml, from wliich-np to entrance there is a stream of 
peMeraS sS’wul isolafed oykers, tvnd oysters on Ly stone formi.tg wharfs. However, above roet reierred to it has not 
bconcoiisidr™d |W-a^^^^^^^ given will show the injury dorio to Ixals by over-dredging, but it remains to point out the 
liic 1 .i,^,.nnfhui‘incc of ilredgiug. I have said last year’s crop was bad, nud from all appearances 
evil effect clearly } (I say lessees because there is a co-partnery of throe— 
the present also ^intorestod in all these northern hed.s) will bate one jot of eontmet vvl.ilo rent is to pay 
Jaines, Clark, a id lV oodwanl q > , ; pgiien- in its impoverished state, wliile in their possession may not have paid, 
_i„ th.s case.£l,lo 0 year 1 ,. I^ow . tl m ^ i ) partly from monopoly of hetls held in low hands, 
yet they have been ’i^uuperated fiom proMs^o r„^rkoteblc oyster. As shown hy the fact that 
iNcVertheloM they will, n hde w . twice the number of boats, procuring a larger quantity of oysters, (hough a 
fair condi ion t IL ® tvoin davHght to dark, tho livo dredges omiiloyed can each only obtain over i 
ICO was obtained ; now, uo wo'rking Catti, Bar, and Scott’s Creek beds ; three, till last week, now fourworkn 
while in 
lower price 
all 
king 
^ men are vei-y careful 
oyster hack, i’robalily, also, lessees are strict in ordering only mature marketable oysters to 
in culhiig and throwing ^ exercised on behalf of re.spect ivc parties, is noi'ie the less most inj urious to the 
be forwarded. Stdl in each case ‘J rZ^rohniniodiate profit, as spawning oysters won’t, keep. The oyster is not sent away 
reproducliveiiCHS of the ihe boat when dredged, yet hotli immetliately before and after, when not actually in 
Me thus stands the . ■ask No violent natuml cleansing jiroccss has of lute occurred, 
that slate, it is sent lo market. oysters reiidv to avail of the clutch thus cUxinsod as at (ho time above 
nor lias tiiere been a considerable debtrovcTl, as mucli as a pebbly bed well am, tlio shallow jiortiou of Catti bed la 
inoiitioned; cl^ intervals, and‘'everywhere shell and pebbles alike covered with 
left with only a patch of a toot or so oi « . ' , dredge, wliilo at (lie same time there probably does not exist in 
sUiuo and flue mud the latter consta^ Bpawning or mature oysters to fully stock a single bed, especially considering 
the whole of the hshci-y a falling on the right siiot: nonce, obviously, wliilo tliis process contumes, this 
the many clumces existing against < y bestowed unusual pains in examining the beds, and soiiglit 
very valuable tishciy will be retlucea nom ). ^ maturely considered, that it v>ould bo a vast public gam to cancel 
local information wherever I could ^ ^resent year’s rout, and tlicn close tlic fishery until tJio fuiairo mode of 
the lease forthwith, oven at he my^clear couvictions, with much deference, and trust such will not be con- 
management shall be determined. I submit LLcsc, my cilui uu 
eidcred beyond my duty. 
3 
(^) 
■ _ . . • I nf fppt of liirhter-colourcd soil than that of most other rivei's, tliat of south 
(a) Tlio banks of main banks of botli resting in many parts, more apparent towards both the 
passage darker and sandy, mud rock. Some, but not many, depressions of general level of 
H. and S. tods, on the Shell abounds in south passage. ^ . 
siirlacc. hone these exist soil J but not in all. The tidal oyster is not so abundant as in some other 
In some parts rocks have gatlicre I oyrieis,^bifl^ ,andy mad whore shell or pebble clutch has 
fisheries, and ioniid chiefly , Pelican Bay, wherever ar.y kind of clutch, whether of soft black mud or 
oysters I have ever seen. , , mentioned, mostly liavd, but sometimes soft-—and all witli 
None of the beds are bar ZcX, whore there are fine tidal oysters in 
clutch oi some ut Lt a sheU afordod foothold. 
clumps lying on the 1 
4. 
