62 
OTSTEU CCLTUEE GOM>riS3ION—APPENDIX. 
4. There ai-o fcxv marshes iiTailablc for culture. Tliat laat-mentioiied U an exoeUont place. Jforth side of Pelican Hay, 
for 40 or 50 yards back, Cliarlie Island, lower portion Cabbage-troe Island, Luttrie Island, and bottom of bay cast, of Luttrio 
Island, all these consist of the onlinary soil; I believe all of them are unalicnutcd. Pelican Hay and Island is most, 
excellent oyster ground, only 1 to 11 feet deep atiywhcro, save about 200 yanls x 10 wide, 5 feet dcej>, and large Hats dry at 
half ebb. 
5. Tlic quality 13 good, 25s. per bag I am told they produce in Sydney ; as before mentioned the old are scar(;c, two 
years, not so many as ought to be to meet expenses for the next two yi'ars; little or no ei*op last rear, and no sipis of more 
this. The citout of beds about tliat marked ; but isolated clumps are found all over the south jjassage, Gniham*s Creek, south 
moutli of Scott’s Creek, and about Luttrie Island, outside of bctls as marked. 
G. In Pelican Bay, as marked, there is a mound of shell, height 50 feet above high-water, 350 yards long hr GO wide; then 
at base along bank^ of Pelican Bay on cast side 200 x 30 yanls x 0 feet; on west ^ide 300 yards X 'W yards x 7 feet, but 
running into bed of creek, also deep beds along this creek at inteiTals for mile. The whole are lino large and perfect 
oyster-shells, an exception ; for most shell beds are largely composed of cockleshell. Xlieti tlio whole resen'c for townsliip, south 
bank of south passage, is a mass of shell; this would form an excellent lishojy township, ami another, the sand-spit qppi>8ite 
Bar bed ; nearly every portion of south passage banks, east of Blair's Creek, consist largely of shell; all however save reserve 
is sold. The vast deposit head of Pelican Bay belongs to ilr. Macready, Pynnoiit. 
7. XMie oysters Imd begun to spawn middle of January, and completed middle of Fobmary, last year about one month 
earlier; but I have been told that they more often spawn before than after Christmas, or from end of October to end of 
February. 
9. In small areas—As proof thereof, take first William Windsor's j^ateh of 200 feet x 20 in south passage, just on 
tlio edge of low-water, here then in that sjwce 100 bags arc laid of oysters, aged one year, chicliy tidal oysters, a jmrtion one 
year and less deep water oysters ; the latter lie considers his employers may object to, hcnc'O ho desires 1.0 say little about them, 
however, both ho and Barry, whose stock consist of the latter sort, from cullings at various times with only a few of thofornier 
find that the deep water oyster is far more profitable than the tidal to transplant; now it seems tliat these have increased about 
tlircofold in size, and this patch is not quarter covered. However, as it is, the cost was tlio keep of a man for three w’ceks, and 
also some of his own spjire time, The result at the Sydney market price, say only = A'SOO within two yours, for only u 
small portion of spare time during tliat period, if tliat bed werc his own. 
David Barry’s jiatch is oil same bank further west, and similar in every respect, except that there is a small muddy spot 
over which ho carelessly cast some pebbles and shell j the stock is young cullings and a few tidal oysters; however, nob more 
than ten or twelve btigs, as ho is constantly taking tlicm up in order to eomplcto slackly filled bags. Both believe thorouglily 
in culture, so also do the other dredgers, and not only them, but all the residents on the river with whom I have como in 
contact, all seem to know of these two experiments, and ])rofoss deep inter(*sfc in a Bill which would alTord reasonablo 
encouragement to engage therein. But all express themselves deeply aggrieved that the whole profits of a load product 
should go to a few Sydney dealers ; also strongly speak of the siipinoness of trovemment in permitting the destruction of the 
fishery. They all seem to ivatch proceedings narrowij. 
10. 11. Tlieso dredgers, together with manager, liavc hitherto favoured licensing, hut that I suspect was the cry taken 
from Sydney shop-keejicrs, who desired above all things to prevent any Government interference with the fi'shcry wiuitsoever, 
and that they should continue without let or hindrance to do as they jJaiscd therewith. Hence the cries arose “liconso 
boats”—the next best substitute for free user; and “our oysters arc different from other oysters, therefore culture will 
neither answer nor piy in this country.” On account of few' dredgers being able to keep money they were completely under tlio 
thumb of dealers, and whenever they got to Sydney almost all of them were indebted to an advance to one or other of tho 
dailors to get back to fislicry ; hence no wonder “ tlie one dinced as t’other piped.” However, tho men under eonsidenition 
seem one and all to ho steady, thrifty, int^ligent men; and once the idea openeil to them, espeeially inviewof tho exjioriments 
dcscribal, tliat probably tho new Bill might contain provision for leases of suflicient arai for culture on encouraging terms as 
to length and rent, they all on reflection bethought of procuring young stock free of cost as a necessity of culture. 1 observed 
that when this idea was fully mastered, tho licensing system was dropped, and all would be right if they could by any means 
surmount the first two or three years of culture. 
12. No improvements whatever. An oyster shed at Croki for convenience of shipment, but no use to fishery. 
Gentlemen, 
Your most obedient servant, 
A. B. BLACK 
Stateme^tt of David Barry and William Windsor, married men, permanent residents on south passage. 
19 February, 1877. 
I, David Barry, have been constantly engaged dredging since 1867, and in that year commenced on south passage ; got then 
three to eight bags a day, the latter a spurt; generally twenty bags a week of five days; but at first o|>ening of bed tho usual 
thing was eight bags a day; then I worked a while in the first rush to Port Maeqiiario, wlieu the general tiling was fourteen 
bags per boat (two men) a day; then went to Cajie Hawke and got ten hags a day, eight boats working together, 
wrlieii we got the blocks to cull for ns ; then returned home to south passage. Iii each of the last-named cases, when no moro 
than two bags at most a day could bo procured wo left. Tlie passage then had not recovered to allow more than Ihrco 
bags a day to be procured ; at about this rate w'e workeil nearly 18 months, eight bixits in winter and cighteeiiin suTumcr, until 
tho catch was reduced to one bag a day; but most of them now loft starved out, hut 1 beiug marrie'd, and my home in south 
passage, remained. AVlien the beds were closed, I and others, about four or live boats, smuggled eluclly on Cattai and bar 
beds, where the oysters were young, nice, cuppy oysters, and sold high in Sydney. The average at first was four to six bnga 
a night in 4 or 5 hours ; this continiiiHl from time of closing till the beds weiv leased, gnidually diminishing, however, to two , 
bags a night. I and partner were fined towards the latlor part of time referred to. Tlieu when beds ivore leaseil I was eiiiploycHl 
ill south passage by lesse<.*s, and so till now. At first seven boats wore eiupl.»vixlbv lessees, and entire passage was dividwl into 
seven betfs, each the exclusive stint of one boat; some beds wert' hotter than others ; some only got one bag,ino>tIy howeverfour 
bags a day. A flood intervened and damaged some of tho beds, which however was found to considerably benefit others, on to 
which the oysters had been drifted. 'Tliis flood, but especially the gr.adually diminishing quantity of oysters prior thereto, 
actually starved out four of the bouts, henceforth only 1, William Windsor, and George iShooberl, rciniiined, until we were 
compelled after two months* work to seek a rise of prieo jicr bag. 3s. 6d. first to 4s., then 6s., at whicli it now is ; and last week 
one more bout was put on ; now the avenige a week is eight bags. Hence it may bo nssunuHl that two of the best- IkmIs in tho 
Manning, viz., Cattai and bar ho<ls, were skinned before beds wore lemcd. These were convenient to place of shipment, there¬ 
fore less dangerous to work while closed. 
Spawning, —Liust year about end of December tins year, spawning just about completed. They arc about one inontli later 
this than last year, and whicli time is about spawning time of tho above-named bods, i.e., Port Macquarie and CajK'lliiwke. 
I am positive that at neither of these fisheries do tho oysters spawn all thoycar round—only between 1st Nov. to end February] 
I, William Windsor, fully endorse tho above statement of David Barry, having rea<l it each in other’s presence_aa 
witness our respective signatures,— 
DAVID BARRY. 
» • WILLIAM WINDSOR. 
I, Williain Windsor, had dredged in south passage, being married, and having my home heiv, 12 months liefore hods were 
closed, I was engaged by lessees as soon as fishciT was leaded, and allotted one of the beds. No. 9, which was a poor one ; after 
flood referred to the arrrangeincnt of allotting a bed to encli was annulled, and beds worked in common; 1 then got jK-miissioii 
to occupy a portion of the foreshore for the jmrjiose of laying down young oysters, chiefly tidal oysters ; J solicited jirmns.-iou 
and obtained it, but on tho understanding only that I should be paid nothing for laying them down. Hence the exjierinient 
was at my own risk, and I desired it for my owni satisfaction, in order to learn liow far such ti*uns})lanting was likely to succeed 
and pay. I laid down, witli assistance which I paid for, about 100 bags, on a space of 200 foot long by 20 feet wide, from 
bank int o a depth of about 1 foot low water, age of oystei’s when laid, about 12 months. I found in brt'aking them up many were 
destroyed, therefore the greater part were laid in small clumps so as not to destroy au luidue number, which otherwise woidd 
have 
