254 DREDGING REPORT, 1862, 
The loss of the greater part of one of these, and of a towing net; 
rewarded our labours, and we obtained little else but losses, so 
that in despair we ran into Warkworth, hunted over the marshes 
at the mouth of the river, where several interesting plants and 
animals were noticed, took tea at the inn, and returned on board © 
to sleep. 
We determined, if possible, to make up for the lost day, and 
at four o’clock next morning we steamed out of port, and found 
the sea much more calm and the wind abated. In the dusk of 
the early dawn, numberless fishing boats, and countless flocks of 
gannets were seen, one returning from, and the other setting out 
for, a raid upon the herrings then abundant on the coast. Two 
or three hours’ run east by north brought us to good ground of 
large gravel and sand, in 25 to 35 fathoms water. Here we 
commenced work, and with good success continued our labours 
until afternoon, gradually working northwards. The views of 
the coast were of great beauty, Dunstanborough and Bamborough 
crowning with their towers their basaltic peninsulas, formed 
striking objects, and behind them rose the Cheviots, bold and 
clear. The sea was studded with French luggers, picturesque 
and dirty; numberless grampuses were seen tumbling and spout- 
ing around in every direction, and a-head of us were the Fern 
Islands, with their myriads of sea fowl. We ran the boat close 
in to one of the larger islands, whose fine perpendicular basaltie 
cliffs gave promise of deep water close to its shores. 
Our near approach alarmed countless clouds of birds, which 
were for some time the objects of our interested observation. 
Thence we ran for Holy Island, and after trying a few scrapes 
with the dredge under its lee, we ran inte Berwick for the night. 
Tweed salmon is always an interesting study to the Naturalist, 
and on this occasion it was not neglected. Harly next morning 
we ran out of port, due east for about thirty miles, and worked 
hard all day, on excellent ground, of coarse sand and gravel, in 
40 to 55 fathoms water, with great success; indeed, this was 
our best day’s work. Towards evening we ran into Berwick 
again and took the train home, thus avoiding a somewhat tedious 
voyage of eighty or ninety miles. The results of these three 
