regular ' scene' took place yesterday morning, there having been no less than three prize-fights on the banks of the Saltwater River, about a mile and a half from Kellet's public-house. T h e six combatants, accompanied by their seconds and particular friends, started for the ' battle-field' on Sunday afternoon, and quambied near the spot that night. At an early hour yesterday morning nearly all the cabs in town were in requisition, proceeding with their cargoes to the scene of action, and at a few minutes past five o'clock the first fight commenced, between two fellows known as 'Deaf Dick' and J e m Edwards; stakes, ,£25 to ,£20 against the latter. Fifteen rounds were fought in twenty-one minutes, and after a hard push Edwards was proclaimed the conqueror. T h e second battle was between a bricklayer's labourer named Mahony, and a Pentonvillian named Roberts; twenty-four rounds in thirty minutes. This is represented as being a 'good stand up fight and hard hitting,' M a h o n y beating. T h e stakes were ^ 2 0 aside; the betting was in Mahony's favour, and as much as five to one was offered against ' the Penton,' but not taken. T h e third match was between Paddy Sinclair and a person known as 'Black Steve,' for £10 aside, but after three or four ' smashers' Steve gave up. There were no less than eight hundred persons present, and after the ' sports' commenced, Lieutenant Mair, Chief-Constable Brodie, and the mounted police were on the ground,, when the former having called upon the persons present to disperse, was coolly informed that his order would not be complied with. T h e police then advanced towards the ropes, and the C o m m a n d a n t was proceeding to read the Riot Act, when some unequivocal symptoms of resistance exhibiting themselves, and there being only three mounted m e n available, it was deemed advisable to withdraw from the ground. Chief-Constable Brodie has, however, taken the names of many w h o were present, and intends filing informations against them." T h e hitting herein described must have been both hard and fast, but as I a m no authority in this particular branch of athletics, I must leave it to some expert to pronounce upon the probability of the time being correctly given.
PISCATORIAL.
The angler could often enjoy a rare day's amusement before the Yarra and the Saltwater River were poisoned by the foulness of local industries; and though the disciples of Izaak Walton were not then numerous, the water-side sport was by no means disregarded. T h e Upper and Lower Yarra, the Saltwater River, and the Deep Creek were the favourite fishing stations. At the Studley Park Falls, at certain periods of the year, herring would come down the river in shoals, and bream and perch abounded in the Yarra and Saltwater rivers from Melbourne to the Racecourse, whilst the Deep Creek at times was well--stocked with delicious blackfish. T h e following are a few of the notable incidents of the primitive days of the rod and line in Port Phillip :— In August, 1847, the Upper Yarra was swarmed with herring, and they were so easily caught that at Prince's Bridge—then in course of erection—they were hooked with pins. T h e Good Friday of 1848 (21st April) was something extraordinary in the way of herring fishing in the Yarra, and about 150 rod-men were out. A few blackfish were nabbed, one of them weighing 7 lb. S o m e Sandridge fishermen during the night of the 27th February, 1849, m a d e a great haul of fish, between Sandridge and St. Kilda. They fell in with a shoal of salmon trout, netted over two hundred dozen, and experienced m u c h difficulty in getting them ashore. T h e 17th October witnessed an unusually large attendance of anglers at the Yarra, from the N e w Bridge to Studley Park. There were some large takes, and amongst them a herring in weight 3 lb., " which surprised every one." O n the 12th April, 1850, Henry Williams, a stonemason, was fishing at Batesford, beyond Geelong, when he captured the largest eel ever taken there up to that time. It measured 42 inches in length and 14 in girth. T h e most dexterous handlers of the rod were Messrs. Isaac Hinds, T h o m a s Halfpenny, John Stephen, William Kerr, and Michael M'Namara.
