20 THE EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



whole of the books and documents of this Department, as 

 well as the fishing-gear referred to, and general effects, were 

 irretrievably lost.* 



Amongst the implements here referred to were the fol- 

 lowing: — 



(i) A Purse-seine net, similar to those used in America 

 in the capture of the Menhaden, j and measuring 

 185 fathoms in length by about 8i fathoms (when 

 hung) in depth. 



(2) A Drift-net of the kind used in the Scotch herring 



fisheries. (I am informed by my friend Dr. James 

 C. Cox, Commissioner of Fisheries, and who was 

 then President of the New South Wales Fisheries 

 Commission, that this net measured about 3 miles 

 in length). 



(3) An Otter Trawl of 42 feet width of net. This was 



tried in the waters of Port Jackson at the end of 

 1881. 



(4) A large Beam Trawl, similar to those in use by 



Grimsby fishermen at that time. (Later, and after 

 the destruction of this net, a facsimile of it was 

 constructed at the order of Dr. Cox, and this was 

 used in some experimental trawling, which was 

 carried on between Botany Bay and Jervis Bay 

 during 1883.) 



(5) A Set-line or Bultow (called also " trawl-line "), which 



was procured from America. This set-line was the 

 same in size and general construction as those which 

 were used on the first-class American schooners 

 engaged in the Cod fisheries. It was constructed, 

 under the direction of Captain Collins of the United 



* The Linnean Society of New South Wales, which is the principal scientific 

 society of Australia, was also a very heavy loser by this disastrous fire. 



fThe Japanese use a net very similar to this in construction — really an 

 adaptation of it — in which there are a number of metal rings along the bottom of 

 the net, through which is passed a draw-rope. When a shoal of fish is surrounded 

 the net is, by means of this draw-rope, converted into a large basin. 



