INTRODUCTION OF SALMON OVA FROM ENGLAND (PAPERS RELATIVE TO).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1878 Session I, H-11a

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1878. NEW ZEALAND.

INTRODUCTION OF SALMON OVA FROM ENGLAND (PAPERS RELATIVE TO).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by command of His Excellency.

No. 1. The Hon. the Premier to the Agent-General. (Telegram). Wellington, 16th November, 1877. Send small shipment salmon ova steam Melbourne direct. Cost not exceed four hundred pounds. Wire date departure. Tho Agent-General, London. Grey.

No. 2. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Premier. Sir, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 12th December, 1877. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the telegram, copy of which I append, in which you instruct me to send out a small shipment of salmon ova by steamer to Melbourne direct. It reached me on the 2Sth November. I found there were only two steamers by which it would he possible forme to carry out your instructions —viz., the " Somersetshire," which is to sail on the 27th December, and the " Chimborazo," which is to sail on the 21st January. After much consideration, and with the advise of Mr. Youl and Mr. Buckland, I decided in favour of the latter vessel, chiefly for tho three following reasons : The "Somersetshire" is to leave two days after Christmas. The time to make arrangements would therefore have been very short. The period, also, being one of holidays, it would be difficult to count on the assistance required. Lastly, the " Chimborazo " will probably save at least fifteen days on the passage. The agents for the " Chimborazo," Messrs. Anderson and Anderson, have undertaken to let me have the room required, charging for the same at so much per ton. As soon as the vessel arrives in dock, the ice-house will be built. Mr. Youl has agreed to superintend tho shipping arrangements, and Mr. Buckland has undertaken to get the ova. I contemplate shipping about 50,000 ova. I fear there will be difficulty in keeping within the limit of price you name, but of course I will strive to the utmost to do so. For example, it is impossible to tell what tho ova may cost, as they may be easily obtained or the reverse. I will telegraph you when the steamer leaves. Mr. Youl particularly asked me to impress on the Government the necessity of being prepared to receive the ova on its arrival. I have, &c, Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 3. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Premier. (Telegram). London, 3rd January, 187 S. Despatch kd to Melbourne, by '-Chimborazo," 45,000 ova in ship's ice-house. Important ice ready immediately on arrival. Arrive about fifth March. Expense about £250. The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. Vooel.

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No. 4. The Hon. Mr. Macandrew to Mr. Howard. (Telegram.) 4th February, 1878. Agent-General advises shipment to Melbourne, by " Chimborazo," 45,000 ova in ship's ice-house. Important ice ready immediately on arrival, about sth March. You had better be at Melbourne in time to have necessary arrangements for transhipment all ready. Mr. Howard, Acclimatization Society, Invercargill. J. Macandrew.

No. 5. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New Zealand, to the Chief Secretary, Victoria. Sir,— Wellington, 7th February, 1878. As this colony expects a small shipment of salmon ova by the " Chimborazo," from London, and as it is of the utmost importance that the ova should reach the Bluff within as few hours as possible after arrival in Melbourne, I have requested Messrs. McMeckan, Blackwood, and Co., if necessary, to detain their steamer for a few hours in the event of the ova reaching Melbourne when the steamer is about to start for New Zealand. As the ova is stored in the " Chimborazo's" ice-house, there will no difficulty in removing it immediately on arrival, and, if need be, before the ship is entered inwards. In this latter case I venture to request that your Government may be good enough to direct the Customs authorities accordingly. I have, &c, The Chief Secretary, Victoria. G. S. WniTMORE.

No. 6. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New Zealand, to Messrs. McMeckan, Blackwood, and Co. Gentlemen,— Wellington, 7th February, 1878. The bearer, Mr. 11. Howard, proceeds to Melbourne to make arrangements tor and take charge of a transhipment of salmon ova expected to arrive at Melbourne by the " Chimborazo." As the success of the undertaking depends greatly upon the ova reaching tho Bluff within the fewest possible days of arrival in Melbourne, I venture to hope that you will be good enough to afford Mr. Howard every facility in your power to this end, and that, if the " Chimborazo "should arrive on the eve of your steamer leaving, the latter might, if necessary, be detained for a few hours. Tho ova being in the " Chimborazo's " ice-house, there need be no difficulty in removing them the moment the steamer is moored, provided the Customs authorities do not interfere. A communication will be sent to the Government of Victoria on ihe subject. I have to request further that you will provide Mr. Howard with cabin passage from Bluff to Melbourne and back, including the amount in tho voucher for freight of ova. 1 have, &c, G. S. Cooper, Messrs. McMeckan, Blackwood, and Co., Melbourne. (For the Colonial Secretary.)

No. 7. Mr. H. Howard to the Hon. Mr. Macandeew. Sir,— Wallacetown, 31st January, 1878. 1 have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your telegram of this date re salmon ova by " Chimborazo," and to state that my present intention is to leave by the steamer following the li Ringarooma" (which last sails from Bluff on 21st February), unless I find this will prevent my reaching Melbourne by the 3rd or 4th March, which should give me' plenty of time to prepare for the transhipment. Assured as I am by your telegram of the assistance of Messrs. McMeckan, Blackwood, and Co., I should be glad if you could also authorize me to draw on the Government for expenses as occasion arises, or advance me before leaving a reasonable sum for that object. Would you also give such instructions to the railway authorities before my return as will prevent any unnecessary delay in transmission of ova from Bluff to the Makarewa Station ? I have, &c , The Hon. J. Macandrew. AVellington. H. Howard.

No. 8. Mr. G. S. Cooper to Mr. H. Howard. Sir,— Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, Bth February, 1878. I am directed by the Colonial Secretary to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 31st ultimo, addressed to tho Hon. Mr. Macandrew, and to enclose herewith a letter to Messrs. McMeckan, Blackwood, and Co., in which they are requested to include your passage fare from the Bluff to Melbourne and back in their voucher for transmission of ova. Your other travelling expenses will be paid, as on the former occasion, on receipt of the usual vouchers at the Treasury. The Railway Department has been instructed to afford all facilities for the prompt transmission of the ova to the salmon ponds. The Government of Victoria has been requested to direct the Customs authorities there to allow the ova to be removed if necessary before tho " Chimborazo " is entered inwards. lam only further to express a hope that you may be able to report a successful termination to your mission in due time. I have, &c, Henry Howard, Esq., Wallacetown, County of Southland. G. S. Cooper.

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No. 9. The Hon. Mr. Menzies to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sir, — Dun Aiister, AVyndham, Gth February, 1878. At a meeting of the Southland Salmon Commissioners held yesterday, I was authorized to certify to and transmit the voucher enclosed herewith. Mr. Howard, the Curator of the salmon ponds, informed me that he had been instructed by the Hon. tho Minister of Lands to proceed to Melbourne to meet tho " Chimborazo," s.s., which has 50,000 ova of the Sal mo salar on board for the Southland ponds. The Commissioners are much gratified to learn this, and they hope that this experiment will be successful. They desire me to express a hope that arrangements will be made whereby one of Messrs. McMeckan, Blackwood, and Co.'s line of steamers to the Bluff may be available to depart thither immediately on the transhipment of the ova from the " Chimborazo " to her. They have reason to believe that Messrs. McMeckan, Blackwood, and Co. would willingly a little accelerate or delay, as the case might require, the departure of the steamer in order to obviate the delay and inconvenience and danger to the ova, such as the Curator experienced when bringing the salmon ova s s. " Durham " from .Melbourne, the particulars of which are given in the last letter from the Trustees in 1576 ; and also that, as Mr. Howard has no funds, it will be necessary to remit to him before his departure a sum of at the least £50. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Jas. Menzies, AVellington. Chairman Southland Salmon Commissioners.

No. 10. The Hon. Mr. Ballance to the Hon. Mr. Menzies. Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, AVellington, 21st February, IS7B. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th instant, and, while thanking you for your suggestions relative to the transhipment of the salmon ova expected by the "Chimborazo," to infora you that they have been anticipated, and that arrangements have been made with Messrs. McMeckan, Blackwood, and Co., whereby Mr. Howard's passage both ways, and the freight of the ova, are provided for. Moreover, Mr. Howard has been informed that his necessary expenses will be paid, as formerly, on presentations of vouchers at the Treasury. I regret that, as no provision has been made on the estimates, the Government are not able to pay Mr. Howard's claim for salary as Curator. I have, &c, J. Ballance, The Hon. James Menzies, M.L.C., (En absence of the Colonial Secretary.) Chairman of the Southland Salmon Commissioners.

No. 11. Messrs. McMeckan, Blackwood, and Co. to the Hon. Mr. Macandrew. (Telegram.) Melbourne, 14th March, 1878. " Alhambua" sailed yesterday with salmon ova ex " Chimbirazo," apparently in fine condition. McMeckan, Blackwood, and Co., The Hon. J. Macandrew, AVellington. Melbourne.

No. 12. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Premier. Sir, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 31st January, 1878. I have now the honor to inform you that the s.s. " Chimborazo " sailed from Plymouth on the 25th instant for Melbourne, with the consignment of salmon ova (about 45,000) shipped in the main ice-house of that steamer, in London, as reported in my letters Nos. 70 and 80 of the 18th and 22nd of January respectively, copies'of which are herewith enclosed. I have instructed Messrs. Weekes and Co., of Plymouth, to see that the ice-house was completely filled before the " Chimborazo " left Plymouth. For that purpose, and also to provide as long as possible against the breaking into the ice in the main ice-house for the use of the passengers, Messrs. Weekes and Co. put on board two tons of ice at Plymouth. They have reported to me that the ice-house was quite full, and that there was besides some ice remaining for the immediate use of the passengers, in addition to the quantity in the smaller ice-house of the ship. I have no doubt but that there will be sufficient ice left in the main icehouse, on the ship's arrival at Melbourne, to secure the safety of the ova. I sent you the following telegram ou the 28th instant: "Despatched to Melbourne, by ' Chimborazo,' 45,000 ova in ship's ice-house. Important have ice ready immediately on arrival. Arrive about sth March. Expense about £250." I considered it desirable that you should know the probable cost of the shipment, as it would enable you to know how much of the Parliamentary vote was left unexpended. The morning following the despatch of this telegram I received from you the following, dated Wellington, 23rd January, 3.55 p.m.: " Have ova been despatched?— Grey." I have written to Mr. Youl and Mr. Buckland, thanking them for the trouble they have taken in enabling me to carry out your wishes at a cost much below the sum you authorized me to spend.

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Since despatching the telegram to you I have ascertained the exact cost of the shipment, which is as follows: —Mr. Buckland's expenses for collecting ova, &c, £33 18s. B^d.; Mr. Youl's expenses for collecting ova, &c, £36 17s. 6d. ; AVenham Lake Ice Company's account for ice, &c, £50 7s. Id. ; ice shipped at Plymouth, £S Is. ; Johnson, Gregson, and Curry's account for boxes, &c, £6 6s. ; sundry expenses, £10 15s. Bd.; moiety of freight paid in London, £50 ; freight to be paid in Melbourne on safe delivery of ova, £50 ; gratuity to steward on safe delivery of ova at Melbourne, £10 —making a total of £250 ss. Hid. A rouchers for these disbursements will be sent in the ordinary course. I have, &c, Julius A togel, The Hon. the Premier, New Zealand. Agent-General.

No. 13. The Chief Secretary, Victoria, to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New Zealand. Sir, — Chief Secretary's Office, Melbourne, 7th March, 1878. I have the honor to inform you, with reference to your letter of tho 7th ultimo, that instructions have been given by the Hon. the Commissioner of Trade and Customs that every facility be afforded, on the arrival of the " Chimborazo," for the prompt removal from that vessel of the salmon ova expected by the New Zealand Government. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New Zealand. G. Berry.

No. 14. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Premier. Sir, — 7, AVestminster Chambers, London, S.W., 22nd January, 1878. I have the honor to acknowledge duplicates of letter, with enclosures, forwarded by the Brindisi mail on the 18th instant. I forward also a paragraph from the Times, which briefly but correctly describes the history of tho shipment. Finding that Mr. Graham, of Poverty Bay, would be a passenger by the " Chimborazo," I asked him to look after tho ova on board, and, on arrival at Glenelg, to telegraph to you the condition of the ova; and also to telegraph the .Manager of the Bank of New Zealand, Melbourne, for information of your agent or officer there, the date of arrival in Melbourne, and quantity of ice on board. I trust the shipment will arrive safely, and that the course 1 have taken will commend itself to the approval of the Government. I have, &c, Julius A'ogel, The Hon. the Premier, New Zealand. Agent-General.

No. 15. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary to the Agent-General. Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, New Zealand, 30th March, 1878. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 18th and 22nd January last (addressed to the Premier), giving full details of tho shipment of salmon ova'forwarded per "Chimborazo," and beg to thank you for the trouble you have taken in the matter. Mr. Howard, the Curator of the Southland Acclimatization Society's hatching-ponds at Makerewa, met tho shipment of ova at Melbourne, and, having left 5,000 eggs with Sir Samuel Wilson, conveyed the remainder to the hatching-ponds without any delay occurring. I enclose for your information copies of two telegrams received from Mr. Howard, which contain the latest information as to the probable success of the shipment. I hope to inform you of the final result by next mail. I have, &c, J. Ballance, The Agent-General, London. (In the absence of the Colonial Secretary.)

Enclosure 1 in No. 15. Mr. 11. Howard to the Colonial Secretary. (Telegram.) Invercargill, 19th March, 1878. Mr. Buckland's ova are nearly all opaque. Mr. Youl's, although healthy-looking, are badly impregnated. The trout are nearly all very good and well-impregnated. Henry Howard, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Curator.

Enclosure 2 in No. 15. Mr. H. Howard to the Hon. Mr. Macandrew. Invercargill, 19th March, 1878. Ova arrived safely. Sir J. Wilson reports to me Buckland's bad. Youl's very good of those left at Melbourne. H. Howard, Tho Hon. J. Macandrew, Wellington. Curator.

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No. 16. Messrs. McMeckan, Blackwood, and Co. to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New Zealand. Siß,— Melbourne, 19th March, 1878. AYe were favoured with your communication of the 7th ultimo, 78/538, per Mr. H. Howard, and have now the honor to inform you that the salmon ova arrived by the " Chimborazo," on the night of the 11th instant, was transhipped to and forwarded by the s.s. " Alhambra," 13th, to the Bluff, under the personal supervision of Mr. Howard, who expressed himself as perfectly satisfied that the conditions made by your Agent-General had been faithfully fulfilled. The expenses incurred are as follow, viz. : — £ s . d. Balance of freight per "Chimborazo " ... ... ... 50 0 0 Bonus to chief steward " Chimborazo" ... ... ... 10 0 0 Victoria Ice Company's account ... ... ... 5 16 0 Beeeham and Co.'s account ... ... ... ... 18 0 0 £83 16 0 Commission on above disbursements ... ... ... 4 3 10 Customs, bonds, entries, &c. ... ... ... ... 0 10 6 Freight per " Alhambra" to Bluff ... ... ... 8 0 0 Exchange and stamp duty ... ... ... ... 0 11 8 Total ... ... ... . ... £97 2 0 —for which amount we have valued upon you through the Union Bank of Australia, on demand, and will thank you to protect. Mr. Howard had a return ticket issued to him at Invercargill, payment for which we presume had been arranged for by our agent there. Trusting this importation of ova may be a perfect success, We have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New Zealand. McMeckan, Blackwood, and Co. Vouchers for the first four items enclosed herewith.—McM., 8., and Co.

No. 17. Mr. G. S. Cooper to Messrs. McMeckan, Blackwood, and Co. Gentlemen,— Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 30th March, 1878. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 19th instant, advising the transhipment of the salmon ova, which arrived at Melbourne by the " Chimborazo," into the s.s. " Alhambra." The sum of £97 25., being the amount of the expenses you incurred, and your charges ou account of the ova, has been paid to the Union Bank, in accordance with your wishes ; and I am directed to convey to you the thanks of the Government for the assistance you have rendered to them in this matter. I have, &c.. G. S. Cooper, Messrs. McMeckan, Blackwood, and Co., Melbourne. (For the Colonial Secretary.)

No. 18. The Hon. Mr. Menzies, M.L.C., to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sir,— Dun Alister, 15th April, 1878. At a meeting of tho Southland Salmon Commissioners on the 9th instant, your communication of the 21st February, signed in your absence by the Hon. Mr. Ballance, was considered. In it I was informed that, inasmuch as the salary of Mr. Howard, Curator of the Ponds, had not been provided for in the estimates, the Government was unable to pay it. The Commissioners request me to suggest that the salary can fairly be charged on the vote for the introduction of salmon, or, if that should insufficient, upon the vote for unforeseen contingencies ; and also to remind you that Mr. Howard has had no salary paid to him since the end of 1876, during which time he has been engaged in the care of the ponds, aud in carrying out the instructions of the Government and the Commissioners. The voucher, which I have the honor to enclose herewith for payment, will show that certain refunds are also due to Mr. Howard for amounts ho has paid on behalf of the Government. From a report of the Curator, it appeared that the shipment of salmon ova by the s.s. "Chimborazo " has been only a partial success. The ova packed by Mr. Youl looked bright and healthy, but only a portion was fecundated ; they began to hatch on the 4th April, the eighty-third day after shipping ; about 250 are already hatched, and tho Curator does not, from present appearance, expect more than 2,000 fish from these boxes. The ova packed by Mr. Buckland were not in such good condition, the greatest portion being opaque : they began to hatch on the sth April; about fifty are hatched, and 500 more are expected to hatch out. The trout ova have come in better condition : they were taken on the 17th January, and began to hatch on the 6th instant, seventy-nine days after shipping. Mr. Howard hopes to get 1,000 trout from the 1,500 ova: about twenty or thirty have been already hatched. The Commissioners desire to place on record their regret that of the large number of ova shipped so few should have arrived in good condition, md to express thoir conviction that failure was by no means due to any

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deficiency of ice, or accident, or delay in the transit, as there was abundance of ice on the ova throughout, and the process of hatching did not begin until a fortnight after the arrival of the ova at the ponds. The great success which has attended the American method of packing ova, and the great economy of space which it secures, induces the Commissioners to recommend this method to the careful consideration of any gentleman who may be charged with the superintendence of future shipments from England. I have, &c., James Menzies, Chairman, Southland Salmon Commissioners. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington.

No. 19. The Hon. Mr. Menzies, M.L.C., to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. My dear Sir, — Dun Alister, AVyndham, 21st June, 1878. I return enclosed the vouchers you sent, certified, and I observe that they include nearly all the charges that arc now due to Mr. Howard, either directly or secondarily. The exceptions are —Scearle, £1; and E. M. Browne, last service, £12 ss. The charges paid by Howard have been for carriage of ova and fry, and cleaning the ponds. For the last year you may remember we received authority from Dr. Pollen formally to an amount not exceeding £20. The receipts for the amount paid by Mr. Howard have all been forwarded in my letters to your office of sth February, 15th April, and 10th June; the memorandum on Mr. Howard's note of account will show the dates of their being sent respectively. I hope you will get Howard's salary paid up as soon as possible, for the present state of matters is not very pleasant either for him or for the Commissioners. The " Chimborazo " ova have turned out better than any of our previous shipments of English salmon ova, there being about 2,500 fry from about 42,000 or 44,000 ova, which is a small percentage when contrasted with the proportion hatched out from the Californian ova: still, with what we have turned out before, it may be hoped that the Salmo salar will be naturalized. The great foe —the most destructive to the fry—is the cormorant; and it is not unlikely the Government may be asked to give rewards for their destruction. I have, <fee, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. James Menzies.

No. 20. The Hon. Mr. Menzies, M.L.C., to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sir,— Wellington, 4th October, 1878. I have the honor to inform you that I learn from the Curator of tho Southland Salmon Ponds that he has placed in the Aparima River about 1,700 salmon fry hatched from the ova received from England in autumn by the " Chimborazo." Of these, 300 were hatched from the ova sent by Mr. Buckland, and the remainder from those packed by Mr. Youl. Mr. Howard says that the young fish are healthy and strong, and were removed without loss. You will no doubt remember that this river has been specially reserved for Salmo salar, and that about 1,600 young salmon hatched from previous shipments of ova from England have already been placed in it. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, James Menzies, New Zealand. Chairman, Commissioners Southland Salmon Ponds. By Authority: Geobge Diesbuby, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB7B. Price 6d.]