CAMPBELL ISLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14927, 27 February 1912, Page 8

CAMPBELL ISLAND.

A SUCCESSFUL SYNDICATE.

WHALING AND SHEEP FARMING.

[BY temcobapji.—-own- CORRESPONDENT.]

Chp.istchurch, Monday. Nine of tho members of the Campbell Island syndicate returned to tho Bluff on Saturday from Campbell Island, by the auxiliary schooner Hananui, tho remaining member of tho party being left on the island to attend to tho sheep, of ' which there are between 6000 and 7000. Mr. Allan Thomson, who is a member of the syndicate, said that its members wore ten young men, belonging to Picton. They had acquired an interest in the. sheep on tho island, which had been leased from tho Government by the Hon. Captain Tucker, M.L.C., for a term of 20 years, sevon years of which had still to run. The island has an area of 45,000 acres. Tho slwep are mostly of tho Lin-coln-Merino cross, and do fairly well on tho island, although owing to tho cold tho mortality, especially after shearing and among tho Limbs, is very heavy. ' Tho Manama brought back with her 108 bales of wool, tho scefcon's clip, and this will bo shipped to London. Tin's is the third year that tho party has been on tho island, tho main attraction being tho whales that abound in thoso waters. Since last April they have captured eight whales, and several*others were lost, and they did not have a single accident. Their whaling equipment is°a launch and a whaleboat. Tho first year they caught 13 whales, and last year ton, but threo wero on tho small side. The whales this year wero very largo tho bono being 7ft sin in length. The" syndicate confines its attention entirely to " right" whales, the commercial value of which lies in their teeth. There are 434 of these teeth in tho upper jaw' of a " right" whale, and they are worth from £000 to £1500 per ton. Four good whales will supply a ton of this bone. Messrs. dagger and Cook, who have tho whaler Hananui 11, also exploit these! waters, and they have built works on the I island for drying tut tho oil, sperm wliM.; being their objective. Thero are at present two botanists on tho island, Captain Lighman, H.N.R., and his son, and it is understood that they arc engaged by the New Zealand Government. They were landed there by tho Amokura on her last trip. Mr. Thomson said that the members of the parly intend visiting their homes at Picton. They will return to the islands in the Hananui in April, and the prospects are so good that they are expected to more than compensate for the isolation and rough living that has to be endured.