VIII.—OPOHO AND THE BREEDING-PONDS.
For a quiet walk, when time presses not, the visitor to Dunedin could not do better than take the tram-car down to Dundas street and there alighting wend his way across the Leith and up to the Northern Cemetery grounds. To a spot like this, the attractions are very varied in character. Some frequent it to show their lasting devotedness to those who have gone before, others simply to read the records of the past and admire the artistic skill displayed in the attempts to perpetuate the memories of very many who formerly acted their part on this busy stage. To the stranger, the view of the city and its surroundings which is obtained is unsurpassed. Many declare it to be the best to be had from any point. So far as that question is concerned, the answer must be relegated to the observer, whose every reply will be—Beautiful, most beautiful.
Leaving the sacred acre, a pleasant and very enjoyable walk can be had through the Town Belt at the present time, the native manuka being in full bloom, filling the air with delicious perfume, regaling the senses with a profusion of delights. Along this road there are many fine vistas. The elder Kean, on his retreat at Loch Fad, in Buteshire, inscribed the immortal quotation:—
"Through this loop-hole of retreat
I gaze upon the world."
And so can the traveller do here. To be appreciated, these peeps must be experienced, and when once beheld, the temptation will be to dwell on them longer than time will permit. So onward our course must be taken to Opoho, a very pleasant place to live in, and where the grounds of the Acclimatization Society are situated. The obliging Curator, Mr. Deans, will be ready, if at home, to show all the curious developments in fish life, from the egg or spawn onward to the matured trout, salmon, perch, or other representative of the finny tribe, and explain the different stages through which they pass, the methods of treatment, the distribution throughout the Province, and the results of all this artificial work. The Opoho grounds were also the source from which the introduced birds, at once the plague and the pleasure of the inhabitants, were liberated and spread over the country to delight the ear with their warbling, contribute to the gastronomic
