SALMON.

Press, Volume II, Issue 45, 22 March 1862, Page 3

SALMON.

CONTINUATION OF Mil. BLACK'S JOURNAL. 7th February. —I examine the ships—find the S. Curling sails on the 20th instant—though a Yankee, preferable to the other by precedent, borne out by her clipper appearance. The terms 1 find Avithin the limit of Mr. Youl. Brokers and Shippers promise to afford every aid they can, and will delay the ship a day or tAvo if wo agree to go ; inform Mr. Youl of particulars. Bth.—Proceed to Clitheroe. engage Mr. Rainsbottom, Avho is to proceed to the Dovey, in South Wales, as soon as permission is obtained from tbe proprietors. E. Bakloy. Esq. of Anhirdi, and Sir William Watkin Wynn. This stream and one contiguous, he thinks the only rivers, wherein he is likely, at this late p.-riod of the spawning season, to procure the spawning salmon. Hth.-Return to Liverpool. Mr. Youl writes that he will not t.x the ship until Mr. Ramsbottom informs him of bi.s mission. Commence drawing a plan for an io-honse, and an j apparatus to contain the ova. Kith.-Engaged on the plan. 1 Ith. -Mr. Ramsbottom having obtained ponnisaion to lush in the Dovey, and in the adjoining river, called on nu: in Liverpool, on his way thither--! request him to h„ nuwt particular to telegraph to Mr. Youl, as soon as be ascertains there are spawning t\ah in the river, in order that, on receipt of the information, Mr. Youl may instantly come to Liverpool, to confirm the agreement, and set the undertaking in motion; all our time we shall need to put up our apparatus with any degree of accuracy before sailing. 12th, and 13th. — Engaged on my plan. 14th.-Complete my design; no tidings of Mr. Ramsbotlom. loth. —No tidings of Mr. Ramsbottom. 10th.— Co round to various tradesmen to select best for various purposes. 19th. -The Curator of the Botanic Gardens gave mc permission, and kindly afforded mc any facility for depositing the ova in the garden, until its embarkation.—l deposited it io large flower puts, disposed in such a Avay under a tap that the water can How freely through the whole. The temperature of the tap water 29°, weather extremely stormy, and at N. W., with ten heavy squalls of bail—temperature of air 42°. 20th—Mr. Youl arrh'os in LiA-erpool; I submit to him my plan of an ice-room, and an apparatus for the conveyance of theova, in lieu of the trays and tiles; he highly approved of it,Pid is to adopt it for this experiment. The following is a description of the design .-—The ice-house to be between decks, capacity twenty cubic feet—this is the exact measurement of fifteen tons of Weiiliam Lake, it is limited to this quantity by the funds. 20th.-The ice-house to be constructed of tAvo rectangular rooms, one Avithin the other, each inch board, tongued and grooved, each strengthened horizontally and vertically by n i strong frame; raised seven inches from the deck, but every where else free from contact with the outer frame, and bqvuh inches from it, leaving an aperture of two feet by two feet, for admission on the side next the ova-room, tho vacant space betAveen the walls to be filled, bottom aud top covering of a portion as we.ll, Avith finely ground charcoal, the very best nonconducting material, aud thus perfectly isolating the ice; the interior to be lined with sheet lead, soldered ao as to render it impervious to air; in the right and left comers leaden pipes Avill be inserted to draw off the melted ice. Two wooden tanks, lined with block tin—this metal is used because it is oxidized by neither air or water. On deck, over tho ova-room, will be placed one of the tanks, to which will be attached a block tin pipe, one and a quarter inch, Avhich will enter the ico-rooiu, and going twice round it will emerge immediately above tho vivarium; to it will be affixed a stop cock of the same material to regulate the supply of water. Tho water, after imparting its vivifying influence to the ova, will run into the other tank placed in the deck under the vivarium, the pump will be fixed into the deck leading into this tank, in order to pump the water out of it into the tank on deck, and in its passage ae'rato it thoroughly, in order to abstract from it the carbonic acid gas obtained from the ova, and give to it the samo quantity of oxygen it has given to them. The vivarium is a frame, in form, the frustum of a square pyramid, four feet, each side of large base eighteen inches, smaller' fcase 10 inches. Twice round tliis frame is placed spirally a trough eighteen feet long, one foot broad, and seA r en inches deep, hi eight compartments, lined throughout with block tin—this will accommodate 30,000 ova. It has an incline of two and-a-half inches to the foot, quite sufficient to give a brisk flow of water over the pebbles. February 21 at.--Mr. Youl engages space in the S. Curling for ice and ova, room for seven tons of water, 500 gallons of which the Captain engaged to give from the ship's tank, and for my passage in a room adjoining the ova room. The Brokers also agree, for themselves and Captain, to afford us every facility in the fitting up of our apparatus, and on the passage that I shall have all the aid manual, and otherwise, I require. 22nd.—The mechanics commence the construction of iceroom and apparatus—l am afraid the time ia too hmited to complete the ice-room and vivarium, with the perfect accuracy required, to render it impervious to air—should this not bo accomplished I shall be very doubtful of the result. Mr. Youl conceives tbe Liverpool water to be unsuitable for the ova, Mr. Ramsbottom who has a favorite spring at Clitheroe, is sent thither to procure six casks for our use. 27th—Change water in vivarium at six p.m. The violent motion of the ship still continues highly injurious to the ova ; many are dying. Change water at six p.m. ; draw off melted ice, thirty gallons. Off Bardsey ; temperature 42°. 28th 6 p.m.—4 a.m., change water; support the drooping corners of the vivarium by guys to the suspension chain. I cannot remove the dead ova, the motion of the ship is much too violent to perform such a delicate operation, without

iniury to the living ova. There is no fear of putrefaction as the water is too cold. Off Bardsay ; temperature 46.° 29th six a.m. -Change the water; eight p.m., do., temperature of ice water 34° and 35." It is too dirty; full of charcoal sand, and ova dying. The less water I keep m the vivarium the better for the ova ; it moves about with great force, d-shing the ova against the pebbles with great violence. Ice 'melted, draw off forty gallona La- 52° 11' S.W., long. 5" 24';— temperature 47. ° Ist March.—Heavy sea; no more water kept in the vivarium than is absolutely necessary.—six gallons melted ice —30° temperature. 6 a. m., and 6 p. m., changed water. Lat. 52" 3' N.; long. 6° 28; temperature 42. " 2nd.—Wind'increasing—heavy sea—ova dying; cannot venture to remove the living; no fear of the dead ova tainting the water, none became putrid. It is very difficult to take hold of an ovum in a state of querium here, impossible; lat 51° 18'; long. 6° 15'; temperature 45.° 3rd. —Water changed as yesterday; no change in weather ; ova dying. I try various plans to steady the vivarium, of no avail. Pumped the water from the lower into the upper tank. Lat. 50° 26; long. 5" 24; temperature 43.° 4th.—Ship labouring heavily, extremely injurious to the ova. Should tin's weather continue, all the ova will die. Ship extremely uncomfortable, the water washing about main decks ; lat. 50° 36'; long. 5° 36'; temperature 44. ° sth.—Change water as usual; pump the water from ova tank into the deck tank—water smother; lat. 42° 20 ; long. 8° 4; temperature 43.° Gth.—Sea smoothei ; change water night and morning; vegetation makes its appearance on the quartz. The pebbles are slimy, but no vegetation; lat. 4S° 29; long. 8° 54' temperature 42. ° 7th. —Ship rolling heavy. The motion is too great to admit of removing the dead ova. The pebbles are getting slimy. I get the assistance of a passenger; lat. 47 deg. 11 mm.; long. 10 deg. 25.mm.; temperature 43 deg. Bth.—Ship rolling violently; change water as usual. I have, till to-day, perhaps, ten or fifteen gallons of water, every time I change it; lat. 44 deg. 3 mm.; long. 13 deg. 22 mm; temperature 43 deg. 9th.—Ship rolling heavily—at 5 a.m. shipped a sea; a good deal of water came through the skylight, into the upper compartments of the vivarium, although the salt water was drawn immediately, many of the ova were destroyed thereby, after the salt water was drawn off I washed the vivaruam thoroughly with fresh from the tank, allowing the tap to Wn till not a particle of salt remained. In about fifteen minutes of immersion in the salt water, the colour cf the ova changed to a brilliaut glossy pink tint—the dead ova changed the same as the remaining living ova; the embryo just perceptible, seemed to separate into a minute oily globules, apparently of a more specific gravity than before, when washed well with fresh water; the previously dead, and those killed by the salt water, assumed tho natural opaque appearance of dead ova, no perceptible difference. Tho water in tanks were broached—too much motion to. remove the dead ova with safety; lat. 40 deg. 33 mm.; long. 17 deg. 1 mm.; temperature 45 deg. 10th.—Change the water as usual; that is, draw off the melted ice, and when required of ice. As soon as the ice was put in vivarium, and the presence of cold and pure water was felt, the ova seemed to become healthy at once; lat 37 deg. 30 mm., N.; long. 18 deg. 36 mm.; temperature 49 deg. 11.—Change ico 4 a,ip.—l2 deg. N. and 10 p.n_; water smooth. Remove 4,500 dead ova, carefully counted by myself and assistant. I salt them—aa soon as the salt is put on them the same phenonomen is presented, as when the ova were immersed in sea water ; lat. 35 deg. 17 mm. ; long. 20 deg. 16 mm.; temperature 52 deg. 12th.—Change ice 4 a.in., 12i_, 8 p.m. and 12m.; water smooth—vegetation appearing on pebbles—remove 2000 dead ova, counted and removed carefully ; nearly all the ova in quartz dead—remove Hying into basin of broken ice; wash the compartment which had quartz in it—well washed fresh pebbles, and re-deposit the ova. This is highly injurious • with pebbles cannot be avoided—were the pebbles not cleansed from accumulation, it would kill the ova; lat. 32 deg. 48 mm. long. 21 deg. 31 mm.; temperature 56 deg. 13th.—Remove part of the pebbles from the compartments, and replace them with fresh pebbles which have been well washed, dried in the sun, then cooled in ice house, and redeposit the ova. Enter the trades to-day—remove 350 dead ova—ice 4 a,m.—l2 n. and 11 p.m.; lat 29deg. 55 mm.; long. 30 deg. 42 mm.; temperature 60 deg. 14th.—I have designed another vivarium to be hung on gimblca, better adapted, I think, than the present—it is eight feet long, two broad, seven deep, divided longitudinally, and transversely into four compartments, to be lined with tin taken from one of the quarter compartments ; lat 26 deg. 12 mm.; long. 23 deg. 56 mm.; temperature 63 deg. 15th.—Remove all the quartz—shift ova amongst pebbles —clean all tho pebbles, many ova die in consequence of removal, notwithstanding the care I bestow upon them. All quartz compartments empty; lat 22 deg. 25 mm.; long/24 deg. 48 mm.; temperature 64 deg. 16th.—Change ice 5 a.m., 11 a.m., 4 p.m. and 12 mid Engaged making new vivarium. The slime is collecting again on the pebbles ; lat. 13 deg. 40 mm.; long. 25 dot,. 21 mm.; temperature 66 deg. 17t1.— Engaged constructing vivarium— slime on pebbles increase ; I observe it appearing on some of the ova; cut it off very gently, ami put the ova in apart from the others; lat. 15 dog. 43 mm.; long. 23 deg. 40 mm.; temperature 67 •leg. 18th.—Engaged constructing the vivarium—take out 1330 dead ova; those I cle-.msed seemed to have recovered, out of

ten, only three dead; clean a few of the pebbles. I have a very disagreeable job soldering the block tin lining. Ice 6 a.m.—lp.m., and 12 n_; lat. 13 deg. 15 niinn.; long. 25 deg. 17 mm.; temperature 68 deg. 19th.—Ice 4 a.m.—ll a.m.—7 p.m. and 12 mid. I re-clean the first lot of pebbles—remove 750 dead ova; lat. 11 ; long. 25 deg. 20 mm.; temperature 72 deg. 20th.— Engaged a new vivarium—a disagreeable job; thin block tin is extremely difficult to solder—partly clean the pebbles; lat 9 deg. 38 mm.; long. 25 deg. 17 mm.; temperature 68 deg. 21st—Soldering the vivarium; cleaned last of pebbles; washed a sufficient quantity for the new vivarium; put them in the oven to kill the germs of vegetation—76 dead ova ; lat. 8 deg. 31 mm.; long. 35 deg. 15 mm.; temperature 75 deg. 22nd.—Engaged at vivarium—put the washed pebbles in the ice house to cool, previous to depositing in the new vivarium—supply ice 7 a.m.; 3 p.m. and 12 mid—increase the temperature; lat. 7 deg. 38 mm.; long. 25 deg. 19 mm.; temperature 77 deg. 23rd—Finish vivarium—four posts are erected by the ship's carpenter in the ice room, to hang it to by gimbles ; deposit the gravel, and place the ice in it. In a soup plate filled with ice water, I remove the ova from the original, and take it down out of the way. Ice 4 a.m.—2 p. m. and 12 mid.; lat 5 deg. 50 mm.; long. 25 deg. 15 mm.; temperature 77 deg. 24th.—Continue removal of ova. The sea is quite smooth, and very favourable to our purpose ; had there been much motion it would have been a very difficult operatian, and highly injurious to the ova ; lat. 4 deg. 12 mm.; long. 25 deg. 12 mm.; temperature 77 deg. 25th.—I find 2,524 dead ova in the original vivarium, thus making an entire total of 11,000 dead; and now alive, as near as I can judge, from five to six thousand. I am quite certain of the number of dead, as I have counted them over twice, and measured them in a graduated measure ; lat. 3 deg mm.; long. 24 deg. 26 mm.; temperature 76 deg. 26th.—It appears to mc, after the change to the new apparatus amongst the clean pebbles, that the ova, (exclusive of those injured by the removal) after their recovery, have a clean and healthier appearance. I find 550 dead ; change ice G a.m.—ll a.m., 4 p.m. and 12 mid.; lat 2 deg. 22 mm.; lung. 26 deg. 12 mm.; temperature 77 deg. 37th. —This dram on the ice will not answer, but I cannot find a substitute—it is all melting rapidly ; the heat unusually intense, and the passage long ; due diligence is not used by the captain in the prosecution of his voyage—gross mismanagement on board.; lat. 2, deg. 20 mm.; long 26 deg. 26 mm.; temperately 77 deg. 28th. —130 dead ova—this weather makes mc miserable about the ice. as it diminishes very rapidly ; pebbles are again becoming slimy; I remove the foul pebbles one by one, and replace them by clean. In this still water this method can be adopted, but it would be impossible in a sea-way; lifting > the pebbles disturbs the ova, and gives the water no matter j how little in the vivarium, the power to reach the ova, and move them about with it so as to make it impossible to place a pebble without injury to an ova ; lat 1 deg. 47 mm. n.; long. 26deg. 45 mm.; temperature 78 deg. 28th.—Employed cleaning the pebbles; 136 dead. The temperature of the ice at the top 43 deg.—placed against this 52 deg. 5 mm.—hour about 9—weather intensely hot. Supply ice 6 am.—ll p.m.; lat 1 deg. 16 mm. _,; long. 26 deg. 45 mm.; temperature 77 deg. 30th.—Both air and water as hot as ever it is within the tropics at sea. However, I consider it extremely fortunate there is so little electricity in the air; I have found that thunder or an excess of electricity accellerates wonderfully, and hastens the death of sickly ova; 420 dead; lat 1 deg. 14 mm. n.; long. 26 deg. 45 mm.; temperature 84 deg. 31st—In order to prevent this drain on the ice, I propose to prepare a vivarium to hang up in the ice house, on the swinging table; there is, from the wasting of the ice-room, for this, or will be by its completion ; lat 0 deg. 43 mm. n. long. 26 deg. 45 mm.; temperature 82 deg. Ist April—Remove 299 dead ova died in two dayPebbles are again becoming foul. I now understand how invaluable tiles of earthenware or glass would be, properly constructed for the purpose; lat 0 degg. 22 mm.; long. 26 deg., 45 mm., 19 sec; temperature 82 deg. 2nd.—The salmon rubicon is crossed; we have entered the south-east trades, and crossed the line. If we have now a favorable run into the south temperate region, I shall, I think, succceed in taking out the ova—still the ice is rapidly disappearing. I am urgently engaged in getting the new vivarium ready; lat 0 deg., 30 mm. south; 27 deg. IS mm.; temperature 82 deg. 3rd.—Ship in sight, passed close; the Captain not inclined to speak.—Prepared pebbles for the new apparatus, dry them in the sxm in order to kill any germs of vegetation likely to be adhering to. the stone—loo dead.—Lat. 2 deg., 3d mm. south ; long. 28 deg. 12 mm.; temperatnre 82 deg. 4th.—Xo decrease in the temperature; ice diminishing rapidly; house apparently charged with caloric; 118 dead, although the ova looked so healthy, yet they die, caused, I think, by the ice being too pure, and not a running stream • lat. 5 deg. 05 mm., south; long. 30 dee. 2S mm.— Temnerature 78 deg. " l ' otb.-The vivarium complete-I hang it in the ice room, and deposit the ova in it; the ova remaining in the bottles I also deposit in it; 127 ova in lx>ttles; 31 dead. Temperature 43 deg.-remaining about 2000 healthy ova. Lat, 7 deg. 43 mm. south, long. 32 deg. 07 mm; temperature 7S desr. oth.-Enter ice room-draw off the melted ice* temperature 35 deg.-ditto of room 43 deg.; 246 dead ova ; they look hcalthy-23!1_. of ice deposited, not melted ; about 18 I lbs. remaiuing. Temperature of ice room 42 Lat. HI ■ deg. 34 mm. south, long. 32 deg. 52 mm.; temper, turo 78. !

7th.—Keep the ice room closed, in order to ~~~ the ice water drain from the room is st™, _i preveilt * .te ; with the protoside of lead, which is pure ice water. Lat 13 deg. 08 mm. south j eto ■*- 37 mm.; temperature 78 deg. ' n S- 33 d^ Sth.—Closed ; the ice diminishing rapidly- la it of the melted ice drawn off every night. Had th * V been properly constructed, I am certain s 0 ** t °° ni melt. Lat 15 deg. 37 mm. south, k, ng . 34 ° (le( *'°. ld .*-'-• temperatme 82 deg. & °'* *)-_-.; 9th.—Closed; tlie temperature of ova-room -.1 less than the deed. Lat. 17 deg. 07 mm. aout_, !„_.'_ d * 45 mm.; temperature 82 deg. fr -Hl% 10th.-Examine ova; ice melted- ternp eratllre . 39 deg.; ditto ice room 45 deg. "Draw the melt 1 vivarium; supply a 401b. block; 170 dead ova tl, off very healthy. Lat. 18 deg. 03 mm. south, l on </ 35? mm.; temperature 82 deg. °' ° e »* -5 11th.-Closed; this exceedingly warm weather still tinuea. Lat. 19 deg. 45 mm. south, lon_ 31 •t_ C ° a ' 82 deg. y *°' tem l*^ 12th.—Closed ; I am afraid we shall have a loner Lat. 20 dog. 37 mm. south, long. 34 deg. 45 mm ° tureß2deg. fc d miv -temper 13th.-Closed; lat 21 deg. Imin. south, long. 34 dee ~ mm.; temperature 82 deg. °' ° 14th.-Examine ova; ice [melted—temperature of * water 40 deg.; of ice room 49 deg., the ice dimiaisW, rapidly ; and temperature of room increasing at an alarmi t ratio ; should the external temperature soon decrease, ttf ice will all melt The ova looks very well—l 73 A ev \ * ply a block of 501bs. ; SUJ) " 15th.-Closed Lat. 23 deg. 53 mm sonth, long. 35 dec 12 mm.; temperature 81 deg. ° ™' 10th.-Closed. Lat, 24 cleg. 3 mm. south, long. 33 mm.; temperature 81 deg. 17th.-Closed. Lat. 24 deg. 27 mm. south, long. 35 dq, 22 mm.; temperature 80 deg. 18th.—Examine ova; ice melted—temperature of water 46 deg., of ice-room 52 deg.—234 ova dead; ice going very fast; I think I have got about 15 cwt. wrapped in blanket* if this weather continues much longer I shall lose all. Lat 25 deg. 11 mm. south, long. 35 deg. 45 mm.; temperature 79 deg. 19th.—Closed. Lat. 26 deg. 26 mm. south, long. 35 deg. 04 mm.; temperature 79 deg. 20th April.—Examine ova—237 dead—ice melted; temperature of water 48deg.—room 58deg.—I put the remaining ova in bottles, filled with broken ice, and wrap them in the blankets with the ice. I have, in all, 239 alive. Lat. 21 deg. 14min. south, long. 33deg. 4mm.; temperature 77deg. 21st—I do not open the blankets, in order to preserve the ice as long as I can ; the temperature decreases very little. I am much annoyed by the want of due diligence being used in the prosecution of the voyage: she will be often with a free wind, and no studdingsails. Lat 29 deg. 42 mitt south, long. 29 deg. 51 mm. ; temperature 74 deg. 22nd.—Some of the ova in the bottles dead, but cannot remove them for fear of injury to the others ; they look quite healthy. This recent removal does not seem to affect them so much; I cannot account for this, unless it be that glass is a better substance to keep them in than pebbles; or else that after removal the ova have been quite still in the bottles. I try to-day to evaporate water to a temperatme suitable for the ova; there is no porous cfciy vessel on board I procure a glass and bind roiuid it loose cotton cloth, hang it up under a shade in a draught, but 1 can only reduce the te_i .rature 7 deg. 5 mm., or to 65 deg., totally inadequate for my use; and I have no chemical salts on board. I must therefore, lose what I have got, if the temperature does not suddenly diminish. Lat 29 deg. 45 mm., long. 2S deg. 5 mm.; temperature 72 deg. 23rd.—No appearance of a change; temperature higher today ; reduce temperature of water by impounding to only 67 deg. 5 mm. Examine ova at 11 p.n_ ; I find the ice gone, and temperature of bottles has increased to 54 deg.; I watch, and as tlie temperature increased to 64 deg. the ova died; they all expired about 3 a.m., 24th—fifty-eight days and fifteen hours since they came on board ; and sixty-seven days and fifteen hours since procured from the parent fish, and kept in an average temperature of 36 deg. 5 mm.—This is the temperature which I think should be maintained until the latter part of the voyage, when it may be increased to 46 degrees; if the voyage appears to be under eighty days, a temperature of 36 deg. will not hatch the ova in less than 125 days, or perhaps 130 days. This experiment proves to a certainty that with a complete apparatus, and the most unremitting attention, the transmission of the ova to the colonies is possible. Lat. 29 deg. 52 mm., long. 27 deg. 38 mm. ; temperature 75 deg. The death of the ova was no doubt caused partly from the want of a constant stream of good water running over tiieiu--partly from injury received by the frequent removal, for _c purpose of cleaning the pebbles, and removing them in. new vivarium. Tlie saltwater on the 9th March, killed many —but chiefly in consequence of injury sustained by constant and often violent motion to which they were . jected by the peculiar movement of tbe water in the ™' If the ova be deposited amongst pebbles or gravel, ot c it will settle itself in the river, and, if the water, as i natural spawn bed, always run in one direction, it "» remain immoveable, but the water in a vivarium on ship (no matter whether hung as a swinging tab le, 0 compass by gymbels), has a peculiar motion impart* d ™ the direct and vibratory motion of a ship, together impetus itself, acquired from the constant effect || thr chinery to maintain its equilibrium. Those motlotto .^ {oTce water to rash about in a singularly violent manner, sufficient to draw the ova out of their bed, aiu ' a-ain . th- r .bbles and each other, with injurious mo**- -

_, con gtant motion of the ova by the water, will not t the embryo fish to settle on the upper side of the ova, '*" > 1. s when fixed, and in its natural state, on account of T embryo being of less specific gravity than the albumen. Thi quiet is absolutely necessary for its developement, and to it in a healthy condition ; some think it is a necessary •ess in i fcs incubation that it should turn round, but if so, >i 3 performed very steadily, either by the action of the ter or by a peculiar peristaltic motion inherent in the ovum. V I have devised a modified tile which will keep the ovum .oe from the action of the water, otherwise than in a direct ud natural way, at the same time it will afford it ample ' c f or either of the above-named movements, or an increase if size, and eventually facilitate the expulsion of the fish from the ovum; and it will be handled, cleaned, and dead ones removed, without disturbing or injuring the living ova.