TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 9990, 21 March 1898, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

A recent writer in an Salmon Ova Englisb paper asserted

for that "good salmon fishNew Zealand, ing may now be had all

over Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand." It is to be regretted that the statement is so wide of the mark, but the most skilful fisherman could not catch a salmon in any water in Australasia, though he tried for a season, unless he had the good fortune to land a fish like that one caught in a fisherman's net off Oamaru last year. This was declared by experts to be the offspring of British salmon, but tho point does not appear to be absolutely certain, aud in any case, so far as we are aware, no other fish of the same kind has been captured. It is to be hoped, however, that the consignment of salmon ova to which our London correspondent refers as having been despatched to this colony from London by the Rimutaka, will be attended with more success than has hitherto resulted from such ventures. We gather from a letter appearing in the London Times from the well-known expert in these matters, Mr Henry Ffennell* that at one time it was feared that the despatch of a consignment of ova to New Zealand would have to be postponed until next year. So many British fishery boards have started hatcheries of their own, for the improvement of their own particular districts, that they were rather unwilling to allow ova to be taken from fish in their waters, especially aa it appears ttyey have a difficulty in getting sufficient to fiU their hatching troughs. Owingtothe kindnessof the Duke of Richmond permission was obtained to collect ova from the far-famed Spey. Besides the Spey, the Fprth and Teith were laid under contribution, and the ova so obtained were sent to Howietoun, the celebrated fish hatchery in Stirlingshire, where they were packed for the long voyage by the well-qualified assistants. Mr Ffennell says it is hoped that in addition to the consignment of 90,000 ova already sent out here, a further lot of 50,000 or 60,000 from the Spey will be forwarded. He also, mentions that Sir James Gibson Maitland, who had successfully engaged in many similar undertakings, had promised, to personally superintend the packing of tho consignment, but unfortunately died before he could do so. Sir J. A. Youl, who did so much between 1860 and 1882 to promote the acclimatisation ot tbe salmonidm in these colonies, is still alive, but two of his princfp .1 coadjutors, Frank Buckland and Mr Francis Francis, are both dead. Mr Ffennell says that the arduous work of collecting salmon ova for the colonies undermined Frank Buckland's constitution, and so contributed to his death. We do not remember to have seen tbis mentioned before, but it is probably quite true, as those who have read Buckland's fascinating descriptions of his ova-oolleoting expeditions will realise. Late news from London An gives some particulars of Ambassador's the letter written by the Indiscretion. Spanish Ambassador in ~ Washington, which considerably increased the strain On the relations between the United States and Spain. The letter contained some grave reflections on the capacity of President McKinley, and ita publication in the New York papers seems to have been a dodge on the part of the supporters of the Cuban rebels to inflame the American public against the Spanish. The letter was written by Senor Dupuy de Lame, the Spanish Minister, to his predecessor, Senor Canalejas, who lately visited the States and Cuba, and it is alleged to have been stolen from the latter by a Cuban patriot. The writer severely criticised the President's message to Congress. He admitted that its pacific tone was a surprise to the Cuban insurgents, who had doubtless expected something very different, but the Minister nevertheless considered it bad. " the natural and inevitable coarseness with which he repeats all that the Press and public opinion in Spain have said of General Weyler, it shows once more that Mr McKinley is weak and is catering for the rabble, and that he is. besides, a low class politician'who desires to leave a door open to mc and to stand well with the Jingoes of his party. Nevertheless, as a matter of fact, it will only depend on ourselves whether he will

prove bad and adverse to us." In another part of the letter Senor Dupuy de Lome said he did not believe sufficient attention was being paid to the attitude of Euglanct. " Nearly all the newspaper canaille which swarm in your hotels (in Cuba) are English, and at the time that they are correspondents of the New York Journal, they are also correspondents of the best newspapers and reviews of Loudon. It has be .a thus since the beginning. To my mind the onty object of England, is that Americans shall occupy themselves with us and leave her in peace, and it there is war so much the better. That would f urtherremove what was threatening her, although that will never happen. 1 The publication of this letter naturally caused a sensation, in Washington, but its appearance iv print can have no one more than its writer. As we know, it ended his diplomatic career as far as America was concerned, for the immediate demand by the United States for his recall, and the Ambassador's resignation of his position reached Madrid almost at the same time. At onetime it looked as if the incident was going to make additional trouble between the tWo countries, but the Minister's resignation having been accepted, and Spain having officially disclaimed his remarks as to the President, tbe affair blew over, and the only sufferer by Senor Dupuy de Lome's indiscretion was that gentleman himself. Few probably among those An Early who read the account of " Direct the wreck of the steamer Liner." Waipara on the West Coast knew that she was the stout little steamer that traded out of Lyttelton more than thirty years ago. She originally came out from Belfast to Lyttelton to take up the trade between the latter port and Kaiapoi and Saltwater Creek. A Wellington resident, Mr F. W. Mansfield, who came out in the Waipara from Belfast, supplies some very interesting particulars. The little oraffc, which waß only 48 tons register, arrived in Lyttelton on the 12th May, 1864, after a passage of 152 days from Belfast. She was commanded by Captain Borthwiok, and the passengers comprised Mrs Redpath, Mrs Mansfield (the mother of' our correspondent) and four children. The only land sighted during the voyage was Madeira. The length of the voyage caused it to be thought that the steamer was lost. After running for some time under the flag of the Kaiapoi and Saltwater Creek Steamship Company, the Waipara went to Hokitika and was for some years employed by the Government to tender the mail steamers off Hokitika bar. She was such a good sea boat and so smart on her keel that she often turned in her own length to meet the big seas that break on the Hokitika coast. The captain settled down here and conducted a private school, and one of his sons is now, we believe, a teacher under the North Canterbury Board of Education. Mr Redpath, of Lyttelton, was the ship's carpenter. The Waipara may be called the first direct steamer' to Lyttelton. Her record for length of passage, great as it was, was beaten later on by the paddle steamer Lyttelton, which took eighteen months on the voyage.