LAKE COUNTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2263, 15 July 1897, Page 29

LAKE COUNTY.

July 10.— There has been a little snow, which, while it has made the roads dirty and disagreeable, has added nothing worth speaking of to the water supply upon the mountains. So open and fine has been the weather that ploughing and all open air work is progressing without let or hindrance. ■ Mount Tutoko.— Nothing definite is heard here about the reported volcano at Martin's Bay, and as a letter under recent date has been received at Arrowtown from the localities without making any reference to an outbreak it is most likely that the rumour of such an occurrence, which gained circulation some time ago, is withoutfoundation. Although there are uo volcanic indications in the neighbourhood of the mountain, it and the Skippers Ranges, ou the opposite bank of the Holyf ord Valley, are of a sub-basaltic formation, and basalt is classed by geologists as an erupted rock. This is coming pretty near the real thing. Perhaps the recent rumour is the shadow cast before by the coming event, and we all know that there are things in heaven and earth that are not dreamt of even in our fin de sieeU philosophy. Trout-netting Licenses. — Compared with former years, the recent sale of these licenses held at Queenstown last week was a failure. The netting ground of the district is divided into 27 sections, all of which used to go off at auction at fair prices, realising an average of between £80 and £90 a year. This « eason only 17 of the sections found purchasers, and the total realised was only £19. Several causes account for this falling off, chief amongst which are the uncertain local

markets, the cost of sending fish to the larger ] centres of population, and the unfavourable nature of much of the netting ground. Competent authorities state that there is no appreciable decrease iv the number of the fish so far as Lake Wakatipu is concerned, though the opinion prevails that the fish are getting shy of the nets. Death.— There died at Arrowtown on Thursday last Mr John Wallace, well known in Dunedin business circles. Mr Wallace was on a business tour of thi3 district, duriug which he caught a severe cold, resulting as above stated. j