THE LAKES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1191, 26 September 1874, Page 7

THE LAKES.

(from our own correspondent. )

The people of the Arrow are about to make an experiment in the hatching of trout ova on their own account. A supply from the Dunedin Acclimatisation Society is to be forwarded by this day's coach from Palmerston. Hayes Oreek should prove a suitable place both for the roaring and the future home of these fish ; besides there are several other streams in this district in which trout would do well. I believe that an attempt will shortly be made to introduce perch into Lake Hayes. With the streams and lakes of the Wakatip stocked with fish, no place in Otajro would prove so attractive during the summer months for the disciples of old Isaac Walton It seems really a pity when we come to think of it, that the great expanse of water in this " land of mountain and of flood" should be destitute of the finny tribe, save a few cockabullas and eels. The Queenstown people, however, have long been alive to the necessity of stocking these waters with fish, while their repeated and costly trials have unfortunately proved the reverse of successful. It is said that some trout — the subject of our experiment — have been seen swimming about in Lake Wakatip near the Town Jetty, but others doubt the truth of the story. At present a parcel of ova are undergoing the process of hatching at the Lake View Gardens, and Mr Worthington, who has charge of the interesting process, is very sanguine of success, and I hear that a number of welcome little strangers just free from the ova are disporting themselves about in the hatching-box. Tho site selected for the Arrow experiment —the "mill-race" of Messrs Butel Brothers — appears in every way suitable, and nothing better could possibly be found even if constructed purposely, and the Messrs Butel, who are really most ingenious clever people, promise to devote to the hatching process every possible care and attention.

A third attorney has settled himself down to business in this district, in the person of Mr H. J. Finn, a brother of Mr Finn, an eminent Victorian barrister, and who contested the Avoca election in conjunction •with the Hon. Julius Vogel at Inglewood. It is rather a strange coincidence that while we are expending so much money and time in endeavouring to introduce the "finny tribe" amongst us, a real live member of the family, in the shape of a newly- admitted limb of the New Zealand Bar, should have come and settled down amongst us purely of his own accord. This should be accepted by our Queenstown friends as some reward for their efforts in the cause of acclimatisation. It is recommended by pisiculturists in the csse of lakes and ponds newly stocked with fish, that if food for them does not exist naturally it must be provided artificially. As the gentlemen of the " long robe" are said to represent rather formidable specimens <-f the inhabitants of the " vaßty deep," three of them acclimatised at Queenßtown must rather test the resources of our friends in the Lake City. To appease their appetites a second " Shotover Terrace" will appear as nothing, and now that things are so dull even Queenstown itself thrown in might not be difficult of digestion. Can our worthy member, Mr Pyke, help us ont of this dilemma ?

The Palmer is exciting considerable attention amongst the miners, and during the last week about half-a-dozen enthusists have left for the sultry regions of Northern Australia. The epidemic appears to be contagious, as a number of really excellent paying mining shares are in the market.

The return of fine weather, accompanied by a plentiful water supply, has had a most beneficial effect upon gold mining. This was very plainly apparent in the town on Satur day evening last— the main street had not presented such a busy appearance — no extraordinary sensation being on the board — for three months past. Even an impromptu dance at the Liorary Hall had to be improvised to provide amusement for the visitors, many of whom t-'e long inclement season kept shut up in the back gullies for weeks past, and like the "moths," had been only liberated by the genial rays of a warm sun. The Skippers Keefs are excitiDg much interest, and I think thee is an almost universal desire to develop them. No less than two claims are now yielding payable stone. and we may confidently expect to hear of " good crushinga " as soon as the frosfc leaves. A prospectus to re-start the "Phoenix ' has been issued. With the liberal terms offered, and the well understood fact that an increased water supply for driving the crushing machinery is all that is necessary to make the mine pay, there should exist no difficulty in disposing of the sharea. A quartz reef is not like an alluvial mining claim, when che latter has yielded largely, it must be accepted as Borne evidence that the mine is partially exhausted ; but in a quartz mine the case is different, as you only have to dig down deeper to find more "oil." And unfortunately for themselves, Otago qttartz miners hare only been scratching about on the surface instead of doing this. In agricultural matters things are as dull 88 ever, nothing, in fact, is saleable, and a Very large area of ground has been thrown out of cultivation. In numerous instances, the farmers have turned their attention to the grazing of pheep in their paddocks, but I do not see that on a small saale feeding merinos is a success ; they do not like to be enclosed, and where food is not over plentiful, nothing but a formidable cage geema likely to keop them from following tho bent of a strong inclination to be "away to the mountains." Thero will arise some nice little suits on the "law of trespass when the crops begin to grow. I often hear people remark, this piece of ground will carry so many sheep to the acre, and that piece of ground will do the came. I always say that I have no doubt of its carrying capabilities, the weight of some of the poor creatures is very little to sustain, and when I look round gome of my neighbours' paddocks and see bo laanv Jiftle heaps Qf bones £cai;t;er«d about,

I find assurance doubly sure that there is no fear of any poor starving " jumbucks " finding a shorter or quicker passage to England than by either of tho o/erlanel routes. English grasses do not appear to be very successful, and there are plenty of paddocks in this neighbourhood that unless the great or small cattle depastuied upon them are provided with spectacles they will stand but a poor chance of resolving themselves iuto anything else but bone dust. The only aiiimals that appear to have fared well this winter are the dogs ; it has been one continual feasting for them ever since the great fa]] of snow — dying or already defunct "ciawlers" may be encountered almost everywhere.

Returning to the subject of pisciculture, I wonder whether the members of the Dunedm Acclimatisation Society have ever consulted the " Heath eu Chinee" upon this matter. John Chinaman is skilled in the art of fish culture. The other evening, meeting aCe Jesfcial acquaintance of ruiue who rejoiced in the profession of a pork merchant, to which he sometimes added a slight bartering in ducks and fowls, and enquiring how he was getting on, as he had only been started in this lino some two years, having previously been a very .serious loser iv au unfortunate mining speculation. " Done very well," replied my almond eyed friend, '" made three pounds per week clear since i begun ; but I intend going shortly to China to start ' fishgrowing.' " As Mr Murison. had been kind enough to send us some trout ova, my curiosity was naturally awaktned, aud I sought to be further informed, when the information I received was that "fish-growing" was a very profitable occupation iv China, and that, with a capital of two hundred pounds to start upon, a piece of water, together with some balf-dozen acres of land buflicient to commence this business, might be procured in the Celestial Ernpirp. aud that the profits accruirg would be double that of an Arrowtown lv pork merchant." 1 thought, if this could be accomplished in China, what might not be done in Otago ; or, even, would it not be advisable for the Accl.matisation Society to transfer the piscatorial branch of their disinterested efforts over at once to the •' Heathen Chinee 1"

As the mention of a "pork merchant" may perhaps awaken some little curiosity, I will just state that this pi'ofession forms rather an important part in the every-day economy of Celestial life, for a Chinaman to live without pork w ould be equally as impossible as an Englishman to exist without beef. The "pork merchant* becomes, therefore, a necessity, and he transacts business thus : Having made purchase of some fat pigs from neighbouring farmers and others, no matter how rebellious the porkers may have been in the hands of their barbarian owners, the "pork merchant" or his assistant drives them home as docile aa if he had fascinated them. Sometimes, when inclined to be refractory, he may attach a small line to the hind leg of one of them ; but, as a rule, they trvvel along quite resignedly under the instructions of their Celestial guide, whom, of course, they precede. They are then killed and cut up in the usual way, and what is not sold in pieces or junks fresh, the remainder of the carcase, is flayed up into long thin strips which, after being rubbed over with w^ak brime, coloured with some iflgrt-dieut like turmeric, is hung up to dry upou lines ; and af'er sundry hangings in dours and out of doors, the preserving process is complete, and it may be packed out to Chinese consumers living miles away in the ranges. Pork thus prepared fetches fn>m Is 3d to Is 6d per lb, according to the distance off of the customer, or his ability to pay cash or receive credit. A discerning "pork merchant" preserves a sore of a written chronology of the number, state of health, and condition of every member of the porcine family for miles round, and, during hib peregrinations, will call to see how his pets get on ; and whenever one is fit for the knife he bargains for a purchase. The same course is pursued with regard to ducks and fowls — every Chinaman doing well indulges in these luxuries — and although a thrifty housewife may not be aware of it, John knows exactly how many she is able or willing to sell ; he is a thorough judge, distinguishing an old one at a glance, and prefers ducks to drakes and roo&ters to hens. Thrifty housewives are sometimes, however, a match for John, as by whipping the tell taie curley feathers out of a drake's tnil, they will oftentimes pass it off for a duck. iSnme people say that the "Heathen Chinee" steals poultry ; but he is not quite so bad as he is made out to be, and when you come to understand him you will very much question the truth of the popular estimation in which he is held, and ask yourself is he such a heathen and so many centuiies behind us in civilisa tion and knowledge as we have bei-n always led to believe ?