H.—lsa

8

Sixty-second Haul. —Left Kartiki Bay at 1.20 p.m. working south. Bough bottom was found until.' Waikouaiti Bay opened out. Passed Wakouaifci Bay, and shot the net in 12 fathoms off Teeth Eocks at 3.25 p.m. ; bottom sand. Towed S.E. 1\ S. for two hours, and hauled up off a good bottom in 13 fathoms. The net contained 3 gurnard, 10 lemon-soles, 2 soles, 3 ling, 200 red-cod, and a few skate. Anchored in Dowling Bay. Sixty-third Haul. —Left anchorage in Dowling Bay at 6.30 a.m. on the 9th April to prospect off Otago Peninsula and Blueskin Bay. The net was put down off Potato Point, in Blueskin Bay, at 7.40 a.m., and towed across the mouth of Purakanui Inlet. Soft-sand bottom; depth 7 fathoms. Hauled up, after towing half an hour, in 6 fathoms. This haul yielded 10 soles, 32 flounders, 1 lemon-sole, 200 red-cod, a number of skate and elephant-fish. Sixty-fourth Haul. —The net was put down again in Blueskin Bay, at 8.30 a.m., in 6 fathoms, on a soft-sand bottom. Towed N.E. by N. iN. for an hour and twenty minutes, picking up in 11 fathoms off Harris Bluff. Owing to the net getting twisted in shooting this haul proved a blank. Sixty-fifth Haul. —Explored the bottom off Otago Peninsula to White Island, the lead showing sand until abreast of Cape Saunders, when we got on to gravel. Put down the net in Wickliffe Bay at 2.35 p.m., on a sand bottom, in 7 fathoms, and towed round the Bay half an hour, picking up in 6 fathoms. This haul yielded 5 soles, 4 lemon-soles, 18 flounders, 106 red-cod, and a number of dog-fish, sharks, and elephant-fish. Sixty-sixth Haul. —Eeturning to Blueskin Bay, the net was put down off Hayward Point, in 9 fathoms, on sand. Towed in to the centre of the bay an hour and twenty minutes. Eesult: 10 flounders, 20 soles, 16 lemon-soles, 2 ling, and 150 red-cod. Sixty-seventh Haul. —The net was put over again in the middle of the bay, in 7 fathoms, at 5 p.m.; bottom soft sand. After towing an hour and a half hauled up in 12 fathoms at 6.30 p.m. This haul yielded 27 flounders, 20 soles, 9 lemon-soles, 200 red-cod, and 5 ling. Sixty-eighth Haul. —Owing to stormy weather we were unable to leave Port Chalmers for further south until the 13th April. On that date we sailed at 6 a.m., intending to explore off the Taieri Beach and in Molyneux Bay. Soundings from Green Island well up to the Taieri Eiver showed an uneven rough bottom. The lead showing sand about six miles north of Taieri Island the net was put down in 15 fathoms, but got foul of a rock after towing twenty minutes. When picked up it was found the net had sustained considerable damage. Sixty-ninth Haul. —After passing Taieri Island soundings showed a sand bottom. The net was put over in 11 fathoms at 12.30 p.m., but immediately got foul of a rock and was picked up. Seventieth Haul. —A short distance from where the net was picked up, the lead showing a sand bottom again, the net was put down once more, but was only towed a short distance when it got fast, and was hauled up considerably damaged and containing several pieces of rock. The otter-boards were scarred and chipped by being towed over rocks. Seventy-first Haul. —Prom station 70 continued down the coast to Molyneux Bay. Good bottom was got in 9 fathoms, off Coal Point. The net was put down at 4.30 p.m., and towed S. \E. for an hour and a half. Hauled up off an even soft-sand bottom at 6 o'clock. Eesult: 1 turbot, 25 soles, 200 red-cod, and 1 crayfish. Bad weather from the north-east having set in further operations in this bay were impossible, and it was decided to go on to Poveaux Straits and the Bluff. Seventy-second Haul. —Several soundings were made from Waipapapa Point well up to Dog Island. Fine gravel was taken up every cast of the lead. The net was put over in 7 fathoms, but after towing a short time got fast, and was taken up, containing several pieces of rock. Seventy-third Haul. —Left the Bluff for Toitoi Bay at 7 a.m. on the 16th April. Tested the bottom after passing Sandy Point in depths from 6 to 10 fathoms, getting fine gravel until well up to the Mataura Eiver. At 9.50 a.m. we got on to sand, and the net was put down in 6 fathoms. Getting foul of some obstruction, after towing a short distance, it was taken up, containing a large block of sandstone. Fish were represented by a few flounders and red-cod. Seventy-fourth Haul. —Soundings showing a good bottom the net was put down again in 6 fathoms, on fine sand, at 10.25 a.m. Towed an hour and a half, and hauled up in 5 fathoms ; bottom fine sand. The fish taken in this haul were 12 flounders, 13 soles, 6 lemon-soles, 3 megrims, 4 gurnard, 1 ling, and 50 red-cod. Seventy-fifth Haul. —The net was put down again in Toitoi Bay, close in to the mouth of the Mataura Eiver, in 7 fathoms, on sand, at 12.20 p.m., and towed an hour. The result of this haul was 15 soles, 6 flounders, 6 gurnard, 2 ling, 150 red-cod, and a number of elephant- and dog-fish. Seventy-sixth Haul. —A south-west gale on the 17th compelled us to stay in port all day. On the 18th, as the weather was still too stormy to work off the coast to the westward, it was decided to cross the Straits to Stewart Island and prospect the bays and inlets on the eastern side of the Island. Left the Bluff at 7 a.m. After a rough passage across Foveaux Straits commenced operations to the south of Saddle Point at 10.30 a.m. Soundings in 17 fathoms showed patches of sand with occasionally rock. A more regular bottom was got in 8 fathoms, and the net was put down abreast of Murray Bay at 11.10 a.m. Towed half an hour, got foul of a rock, and hauled up in 9 fathoms. The net contained a few blue-cod, sea-perch, soles, megrims, ling, and a large piece of rock. Seventy-seventh Haul. —Soundings showed a rough bottom from Murray Bay to Port William. The net was put down in Port William close inshore in 3J fathoms ; bottom soft sand. Towed out for three-quarters of an hour, when the net got fast once more, and was hauled up in 5 fathoms full of weeds and with several pieces of rock. The only fish represented were megrims and seaperch. Anchored for the night off Cooper Island, Paterson's Inlet. Seventy-eighth Haul. —Left anchorage at 7 a.m. on the 19th. Put down the bottom dredge in Big Glory Bay. Visited all the sawmills working and old sawmill-sites in connection with a waterpollution question. Tests made at different parts of the inlet showed the bottom to be uneven,,