54 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXVI. 



have contained many an error. My thanks are due also to Mr. 

 N. Lockyer, Assistant Comptroller of Customs, on whose recom- 

 mendation to the Minister the invitation was given to my paper 

 to send a representative with the trawler on her cruise last May. 



We experienced very stormy weather during nearly the whole of 

 the trip, and were compelled to shelter every night under the lee 

 of the nearest island. The first trawl was shot in i6 fathoms, off 

 Sealers' Cove, east of Wilson's Promontory, but the ground 

 proved so unsuitable that the net was badly torn. This neces- 

 sitated a " stay of proceedings" for some hours while broken 

 meshes were repaired, so we steamed into Murray Pass (Kent 

 Group) and anchored for the night. Before noon on the following 

 day we left our anchorage and set a course for Flinders Island. 

 But the weather was " dirty," and it took the Endeavour many an 

 hour to cross the fifty miles of heaving sea ; and when we got to 

 Flinders the sea was so stormy that our skipper was compelled to 

 shelter in Endeavour Bay. Late in the evening we ran across to 

 West Sister Island (six miles), and on the morrow (Sunday) the 

 men were given a run ashore. 



It was not until 17th May that the "fishing grounds" were 

 reached. Off Babel Island, at daylight, the trawl was shot in 45 

 fathoms, and after being towed astern for two hours the " cod 

 end," or basket portion of the net, was wound in board by the 

 great steam winch. The catch was a good one. The " cod end " 

 was opened, and a stream of fishes of many species flowed into 

 the " ponds " on deck. Among others I noticed large grey flat- 

 head, "jackasses," silks, gurnets, rock cod, ling, and a miscel- 

 laneous assortment of electric rays, small sharks, leatherjackets 

 or file fish, globe fish, toad fish and other "rubbish." 



Half a dozen men at once set to work sorting the good or 

 edible fishes from the "rubbish." The rejected ones were cast 

 overboard, while the chosen suffered the horrible process known 

 as " gutting." After being thoroughly washed, the fishes were 

 stowed on shelves in the refrigerating chamber. This is an out- 

 line of the work carried out on the trawler as regards fishing. 

 The trawl is cast overboard as soon as the "cod end" has 

 yielded its catch, and the work goes on from dawn till long after 

 the port lights are lit. It was very interesting to watch for a 

 while, but soon became monotonous, save when the sorting was 

 going on, and as a naturalist (albeit one knowing little about 

 fishes), I was ever on the watch for curious specimens. But 

 trawling is only part of the Endeavour's raison d'etre. Under the 

 supervision of the director, soundings are constantly made, and 

 the temperature of the sea water at different depths ascertained 

 and recorded. 



It is perhaps too early to express any opinion as to the possi- 

 bility of establishing a trawling industry in Bass Strait. The 



