66 
OrSTEE CUITtTEE COMMISSION—APPENDIX. 
stored by their catnp on Oakej Island. Howcter, the whole spoiled, and shortly after their departure from the district Tom 
Priestly erected a kiln, and with others made lime of the whole. These are the most remarkable cases of loss, hut it is no 
unfrequent occurrence to hare twenty to eren 100 bags spoil, either wliile waiting shipment or by bar-hound craft. ICighty 
were thus lost the other day, although llie poor man took every care of them, as it seems he suffers the entire loss. Then 
while all this skinning has been going on, not a single thing in the shape of improvement has been done even to the present 
moment. 
JOHN PENNINGIXON, Signal-master. 
PORT STEPHENS LOWER FISHERY. 
1. Both tidal and the few deep water beds, latter only round the rocky islets, formerly densely covered. Karun River 
and Limcbumcr’s Creek, which contain nearly all tlie deep water-beds, examined OTily 2 miles up; therefore these 
remarks apply only to enclosed portion of plan : the other cut off. I have added Pipe-clay and Tcllegaric Creeks, also Kcody 
Creek, all superior ground. Probably outhne, lined by eye, may not be exact, but as to oyster ground it is. 
2. Wantonly over-dredged, and tidal bunks gathered and kept bare. Excepting a narrow fringe of inferior mangrove 
oysters round all low and marshy land, and the ordinary tidal rock oyster on the rocky points and islets ; the tidal and wlielk 
oyster on all the banks enclosed by blue line are of very superior quality. However, where formerly five and six bags were picked up 
in a boat’s len^h or two, from half ebb to half Hood—now not half a bug can be found un a mile of bank anywhere, nor from 
sunrise to setting. Corrie Island Creek, and yellow-coloured banks around west and south sides of Corrie Island wore densely 
covered; now, however, ahcll-gcttei’s are stripping the bed and leaving puddles of soft mud in place of shell. Therefore, if this 
extensive bed is to be saved from complete destruction (a bed tliat would produce many thousand pounds wortli of oysters 
yearly) shell-getting ought to be stopped forthwith. Besides, if any shell can be spared off it, it will, I apprehend, bo 
all required in the culture of fishery. 
3. — 
(а) The points on south side from Nelson’s Head to Tenalba Point, and islands, excepting those in creeks, together 
with points of Fame Cove, and North Arm, North Shore, are of porphyritic rock, much broken. Every¬ 
where else within blue line consists cliiefly of sandy mud intermixed with shell, softish in parts, and more muddy 
and soft in middle of North Ann, west bend of Pipc-clay Creek, in Tcllcgarie Creek, and in Cromarty Bay ; 
but in many places hard shell underlies from an inch or two to 2, 5, and 8 feet. On west side entrance to 
Pipe-clay Creck_ U hare pipe-clay running under the mud in bend, and here and there, running all over 
estuarj-, arc foiuid patches of shell Imre, and also spread from bank lo bank are three species of marine grasses, 
known as large and small turtle graSses, to wliich probably may be attributable the presence of numerous 
turtle ; also several species of alga:. Amongst this vegetation, oyster, cockle, mussel, and whelk seem to thrive 
equally well. 
( б ) Excepting the dense strip of inferior mangrove oyster above referred to, there exists not a marketable oyster 
from said strip to a depth of 3 feet low water spring tides, on any portion of these miles of the finest oyster- 
beds in creation for culture, and which the exercise of a little foresight might have had clothed with oysters 
worth £1 a bag for sale raw, or £2 to the country, preserved; fornot in tlio Colony is a fishen,' more 
admirably suited in every respect for preserving purposes, wbctlicr it be oysters or cray-fisli; of the latter 
it is not unusual for two men in one boat to catch 200 dozen in a night and commonly 20 to 50 dozen, besides 
being a fine feeding ground for every kind of fish wo possess. In ledges and crevices of rocks not got at by 
dredge I find, by longs, a fair quantity of mature oysters—the only mature oysters in the fishery. At times as 
many as forty boats have been employed at one time on the fishery, and for some lime forty-five on the closing of the 
Hunter fishery. Indeed, until within the last twelve months, when the fishery could actually find eiistenco^or no 
more than four or Jive men, there has been not less than ten or twelve boats constantly employed from its first 
opening from fourteen to sixteen years ago. 
(e) All the beds are more or less intermixed with shell and sand, and on the very softest if there is anything to 
which spawn can attach it thrives well. The only approximation to London clay is tlio pipe-clay bed 
already mentioned ; and on it (the bare pipc-clay) I picked up many whelks, as on all the banks, with one, two, 
and sometimes tlireo last years’spat aflixed ; however I am told that the oyster of this bed is superior quality. 
4. All marshes are marked with blue ink, and portions of the whole are covered* at S. tides, and portions only 1 to 2 
feet above high-water-mark. Alluvium and vegetable mould intermiic'd with sand, and in many parts with shell. The land 
on the north .shore belongs to A. A. Company ; that on south side, Government. All these marshes are superior ground, and 
fine sites for trencli culture. 
5. Only in the crevices of rocks, around pointe, and islands have I found a single mature oyster, none nge<l two years ; 
and relatively few last year’s, ami none of this year’s spat. 
6 . A fine shell mound just north of Cromarty’s farm. Shell, as above described, around Corrie Island, and indications 
of it underlying the whole of the island over tlio rock. Shell all over within blue line round the islets west of Soldier’s 
Point; and much shell has been shipped there, though none engaged at it at present. Shell off mouth of TiiUcgarie and 
Pipe-clay Creeks, extending west from the fonnor to Malabula to point fully a mile off sliore ; and oast from the pipe-clay bed 
nearly over to opposite shore of creek, and under mud in Cromarty Bay, Fame Cove, and hi North Arm. In many places bare 
shell around islands, and in patches over estuary; also on most of the islands, and on cast side of Pipc-clay Creek where 
it has been dug. 
7. Oysters spawned this season in December. 
8 . November and December arc the months for deep water oysters, from Sawyer’s Point up, and “ bankers ” in lowoj 
fishery, March and April; some of these are now spawning. There is no evidence whatever to show that any spawn all 
the year round. 
9. In small areas, I find every person X meet on the fisheries, especially those formerly and now engaged thereon, 
aggrieved by present system, and the unscrupulous and domineering manner in which thev arc too frequently treated by lessees. 
All the dredgers believe that off a few acres of oyster-ground double at Ic-astof present* pay may be more*easily realised than 
by working on skinned beds ; and much more pleasantly, because as the skinning process proceeds, to live, the price must bo 
raised per bag, and this appears to be secured with great difficulty, although from 15s. to 25s. and 30s. or more per bag is 
realised by lessee. Therefore when they, as in this case, can get only from four to six bags a-week all this season, they think lliat 
4s. for bankers and 83 . for dredge oysters, and many men, as in Manning, for eight bags a week at 5s., is not a fair division of profit, 
especially when to obtain that quantity the work* must be from daylight to dark, whore formerly, and they all allege if it 
were not for the greed cxliibited by lessee in thinning and not improving our natural beds, four or five bags were, and could 
now be, obtained in as many hours. 
10. Yes. ■ 
11. No. I have seen and heard sufficient to warrant me saying that if liccnBcs be granted the skinning of beds would 
proceed as before, even in face of a close season of four or five months, unless expense were incurred in order to watch every bed 
and also to restrict every licensee to a given number of bags. Such course could only favour the few shop-keepers and dealers 
in Sydney, to the great detriment of Government in leasing oyster-ground, and in pi*U.ting unnecessary expense on such lessees 
in stocking their beds. I believe it would amswer every desirable purpose if each leasee were privileged, at a given fee, to 
dredge a given number of bags per season both as an encouragement, and as an assiptanco to improve lease as well ns to live 
duringthe time that nccessarilymust elappo before his leasehold cam become productive. And latter part of each close season, say 
twenty days might be allowed for the collection of spat off natural beds ; also for asraall fee, tlic privilege of getting shell for 
cluU-h. It appears to me such system would have greater force both as encouragement and restriction under a convenient 
plan of registering every bag sold than under one system of leasing, and another of licensing. ^Moreover, I apprehend it would 
give nmre satisfaction lo residents of every description of the respective fishery districts, who, indeed, seem one and all fully 
aroused to a sense of the local importance of this industry. Then I also conceive it would be wise to consider the preserving 
aspect of the question, forasmuch as when even a small portion of the available oyster ground Ls in opc^ration, more oysters 
will be produced than tlie demand for raw oysters would warrant; wliich, if no provision for preserving were made, would 
immediately influence further leasingand seriously affect leaseholders a« well by reducing price; whereas provision for encouraging 
preserving 
