1905 DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. 41 



REPORT OF CAPTAIN OF CRUISER GILPHIE. 



S. T. Bastedo, Esq., 



Deputy Commissioner of Fisheries. 



Sir, — I have the honor to submit my first annual report of the work 

 done by the fisheries protection steamer Gilphie during the season of 1905. 



On the 10th of April we began to prepare the vessel for service, but 

 owing to the delay of repairing the boiler she was not ready for sea before 

 the 9th of May when we left for Collingwood, where we found that some 

 of the fishermen had left for their fishing stations. We were delayed two 

 days at Collingwood getting the feed pump repaired. We left for Christian 

 Islands on the 11th and patrolled through Beckwith, Hope and the Giant's 

 Tomb. When at the Giant's Tomb the pump again gave out, but we man- 

 aged to work the vessel into Penetang, where we had to take out the pump 

 and get it bored out at the foundry. We left Penetang on the 16th, went 

 to Midland and got a boat from Overseer Pratt. We then went to Muskoka 

 Mills after searching through the Islands, but found no fishing going on. 

 We left Muskoka Mills on the 17th with the sail boat in tow for Overseer 

 Oliver; we encountered a large quantity of floating ice in the inside channel 

 and arrived at Point au Baril at 6 p.m., when a very heavy storm came off 

 the lake. We left the sail boat at Point au Baril for Overseer Oliver. On 

 the 18th we went down Sturgeon Bay and searched all around the Islands 

 and bays, but we did not get any nets. We then went through Shawanaga 

 Bay and captured two trap nets which we burnt. We put in the next daj 

 searching through the islands, but found nothing irregular. We then went 

 down to Minks Islands and through the Shebashekong Campbell's Rock and 

 into Parry Sound; did not see any fishing as the channels were full of float- 

 ing ice. On the 20th we left Parry Sound and after working our way through 

 the ice at Sans Soucie, Copper Head, and Minnicognashene Islands, arrived 

 at Penetang at 5 p.m., Saturday evening, having found nothing out of the 

 way. On Monday we searched- around Giant's Tomb and Christian Islands 

 but found no fishing going on. We then went over to Collingwood, where 

 we arrived at 7 p.m. We coaled up on Tuesday morning and left for up the 

 lake. When we were off Meaford the pump would not work, so we had to 

 work the vessel into Meaford, arriving there at 8.45 p.m. Wednesday being 

 a holiday we worked at the pump and got it to work. Thursday we went 

 over to Griffiith's Island, White Cloud and Hay Island, but found no nets 

 of any kind. Went into Cape Croker Bay and around the point when it 

 was blowing so hard we had to go into Lion's Head for shelter. Friday 

 26th, we left Lion's Head for Killarney where we arrived at 8 p.m. on Satur- 

 day 27th. We searched all through the bays for seines; did not see any 

 seineing or any illegal fishing of any kind. Left for Little Current at 5 

 p.m., saw Overseer Oliver who told me he had got the boat all right. Tues- 

 day the 30th, we left Little Current and went down to Killarney where I 

 was told the Indians were fishing seines. After searching all around in 

 the vicinity of Killarney for two days we did not find any illegal fishing. 

 We then went down to the Bustards Islands and searched around Toad Island 

 and Grondine Point, but did not see any fishing done. Thursday, June 

 1st, we went to French River, where we had to stay owing to the heavy gale 

 blowing. On Friday, 2nd, we left French River and when we got part of 

 the way down we got into a heavy sea and found that the vessel was leaking 

 badly, but we managed to get to Parry Sound where we made temporary 

 repairs. We took on some soft coal and went to Depot Harbor, where we 

 captured a seine. We left for Penetang and after searching through the 



