THE OYSTER. HOW THE BIVALVE IS CAPTURED.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 29, 4 February 1908, Page 8

THE OYSTER. HOW THE BIVALVE IS CAPTURED.

A DAY WITH THE FLEET. The Ist February is probably the most memorable day in the annals of the Bluff, for it is on that date that the oyster season opens, and lovers of the succulent bivalve are, after four months of compulsory self-denial, once more able to cater for their epicurean taste. The circumstances surrounding the garnering of the oyster, however, are to the general pubhc something of a mystery, and it was with a view to elucidating this mystery that a repre sontative of tho Ghristchurch Pre&s braved the perils of the deep on the opening day of the season, the vessel selected for studying the , oysterman in his native element and the manner in which he captures his prey,, being tha largest of the large fleet 01 oyster vessels, the Loyalty. Early as was the Loyalty on the scene of operations, she was not the earliest. In all directions cutters, small and large, rolled and tossed with the swell, their bellying sails carrying them slowly along their allotted course. Now and again one could hoar the short, sharp report of their straining oil engines boldly grappling with, the weighty task of hoisting up the oyster dredges. Formerly this operation was carried out j E radically by sheer physical strength, ut the advent of tne oil engine "lias largely lightened and simplified the task. The dredges with which tho oysters are dredged are most fittingly described as resembling a lady's hand satchel of colossal size. The part of this satchel" which glides over the bottom is • made of steel rings, and the top part of stout cord, and the maw is made so that it cannot shut. Steam having been shut off, the prospeller ceases to revolve, and the steamer rolls and drifts lazily with the tide. In about a quarter of an hour the captain gives the order to "Haul up," and once more the winch starts to whirr, the steel hawser .attached to the dredges rapidly tautening as it lifts one of its burdens from the depths below. Slowly the dredge reaches the 1 surface, and with manipulation is made to rest on the top of the bulwarks. It is then tilted over, a process necessitating the efforts of three stalwart men,' till its contents fall with a deafening clamour on the deck. Then it is that the uninitiated obtains his first insight into what oystering really means. Instead of being oystors solely and wholly, the "catch" practically consists of debris or "culch," the major portion of which consists of empty shells. Here and there a miniature octopus is seen squirming its loathsome way across the shells, while dozens of a kind of red starnsft, some six inches from point to point, glide in and <<sub with outstretched tentacles. Where there* are oysters there also will be found these starfish\ and it is interesting to learn that the two are natural enemies. Tho starfish preys mercilessly upon the unsuspecting and 'harmless oyster, and his presence is largely responsible for the vast number of empty shells. The moment the "culch" is emptied on deck, and the dredge once more shot, tho real work of oystering begins. This is the sorting out of tho useful and the useless iron/ the pile of oystors and shells. All hands and tho cook — and the expression is used in its literal sense in the present instance — set to work, regardless of the sharp shells, quickly pick out the oysters and throw them into tho baskets, which each hold twenty-five dozen. As soon as a basket is filled, its*contents are dumped on another part of the deck, and the process' of refilling it is again commenced. This is ceaseless and tiring work, the worst part of the oocupation of oysterinnr. ..and tho r cut and jagged fingers of the crew showed that it left its mark. As the oysters aro sorted out from thb the latter i~> shovelled 'baok r into,the sea, possibly to be dredged up again by another oyster vessel the following day. The arrival of the fleet at the wharf ou the opening day of the season is not a sight to be ea&ily forgotten. Evory vessel is waisb high in places with oysters, and the noise and bhouting ns .these - are shovelled into bags, sewn «pj - and swung into the railway trucks ready for sending away is nerveracking and bewildering, A thousand orders seem to be given at once ; winchs es groan and creak, and a babel of yell,ing is heard above everything. "They praise up this country too much," exclaimed a disconsolate youth who wandered into the Christchurch Police Station last night (says yesterday's Press). Tears streamed down his face, to the accompaniment of convulsive sobs, as he told a couplo of police officers how he had been lured to New Zealand from the Old Country by the glowing accounts published there in regard to "God's Own Country." He was eighteen years of age, and had served some three years al, the engineer- . ing trade. He expressed a desire to visit Now Zealand, and his fa/ther acquiesced. He could not get sufficient wages at his trade when he arrived at Wellington to keep him, and was forced "to "go on the land;'Va farmer at Now Plymouth employing toim for some time. He then visited Christchurch, and worked on a farm at Ellesmere till Saturday last, when he came to Christchurch and spent all his money. He had had nothing to eat, all day, and his greatest trouble, tho one that caused him most tears, was that he had no money. The police informed the youth that no matter what the country was like there was no need for him to go hungry or without a bed, and at once proceeded to rouse up tho cook. A bed was later provided, and tho lad was made comfortablo for tho night. I Lieut.-Colonel Loveday, in- charge of the State School Cadets throughout the Dominion, left for Nelson by the Mapourika this aftornoon. Complaints were lately made in Queensland that one of the mail contractors of that state had a girl carrying portion of the mails on horseback three times a week. The acting deputy PcstmasterGeueral of Queensland (Mr. Templeton) forwarded a, report to the Federal Post-master-General on the matter. He explains that the mails are carried between North Brisbane and Mt. /Byron by Miss Ivy Parfitt, who, according to the infoi niation supplied to the postmaster at Esk, is "a capable young woman, over 20 years of age, and has carried out the duties satisfactorily." Mr. Templeton did not know what wages were paid Miss Paifitt, but the postal inspector could see no good j Teason why the department should object to her employment, so long as she performed the work satisfactorily. Mr. Templeton expressed his concurrence with that view. The Postmaster-General is of opinion that the whole question of mail contracts should, be enquired into. At last night's meeting of the Cooks and Waiters' Union it was stated that the Labour Department had on two occasions sent to keepers circulars reminding them of the provision in the law for a half -holiday foi employees It wos reported by tho secretary of the union that compiaints from different parts of the Dominion had been frequent, and that it was the intention of tho a,uthoiitics to take action. Ihe union decided to arrange with the Trades Council for Jk deputation to the Minis ter for Labour.