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Star (Christchurch), Issue 703, 24 August 1870, Page 4

Gloomy Anticipations. — The following is from the Pall Mad Gazette : — Things are decidedly looking black in Paris for the disciples of Brillat-Savarin. The general failure of the oyster fisheries on the west coast of France, and particularly at Arcachon, caused by the intense heat of last summer, sent these pleasant bivalves up to fancy prices ; and now a new disaster seems to be impending — the supply of crawfish is nearly exhausted. No less than five millions and a half of those delicious Crustacea, which play so important a part in the famous " bisque aux e'revisses" and •' vol-au vent a la financiere," are yearly consumed in Paris; and for many years France has forwarded to the capital only an infinitesimal portion of the total quantity required. In 1853 the first importations were made from Germany, and since that period the Rhine provinces, Hanover, Wurtemburg, and Holland have been successively ransacked and exhausted. The greater number are now derived from Silesia and Posen, but the crawfish being by no means prolific, and not attaining a marketable size under five years, the supply by no means keeps pace with the demand, and its utter and speedy failure is considered highly probable.