10 " THETIS " SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



We may thus close a brief notice of trawling and dredging on 

 the coast up to 1898, in which year H.M.C.S. "Thetis" was com- 

 missioned. A report on the fishes of the expedition, hurriedly 

 prepared for presentation to Parliament, has already appeared ; 

 in the following pages this will be referred to as the "Preliminary 

 Report."* 



For the inception and organisation of this expedition credit is 

 due to Mr. Frank Farnell, M.L.A., who, in addition to being an 

 ardent fisherman, enjoyed special facilities by virtue of his position 

 as a member of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales. 



The expedition was financed by the Colonial Government and 

 Mr. Farnell was appointed director ; with him was associated 

 Capt. Carl August Nielsen, an experienced North Sea trawler, on 

 whose skill depended the successful working of the appliances. 



When all arrangements were virtually completed it was decided 

 to ask the Trustees of the Australian Museum to appoint one of 

 their ofiicers to join the expedition, chiefly to determine the fishes 

 and write a report thereon. On the Curator's recommendation the 

 writer was selected to act in this capacity, and I, in consequence, 

 was aboard the vessel during the whole period and saw the trawl 

 raised on every occasion. A large and valuable collection was 

 preserved, particulars of which will be published as dealt with by 

 members of the Museum Staff in subsequent pages. 



Although I may have further need to refer to the following 

 matter, I take this opportunity of emphasing the fact that the 

 expedition was conducted purely in the interests of fishing 

 industries, consequently neither the Trustees of the Museum, nor 

 their representative, were consulted as to the equipment of the 

 vessel or the area to be traversed. On one occasion Mr. Farnell 

 kindly obliged me by re-trawling old ground when I hoped to 

 secure further examples of the new Chimcera. Her Majesty's 

 Colonial Steamer " "Thetis," under the command of Capt. C. P. 

 Hildebrand, was fitted up for the undertaking, but, as experience 

 showed, was a most unsuitable vessel for the purpose. In 

 addition to rolling heavily in even moderate seas, she carried a 

 lot of top hamper, which left small space wherein to work. The 

 amidships was occupied by the upper engine room, Avhile the after 

 deck was crowded with the donkey engines, the cabin skylight, 

 companion, etc. The only clear space wherein one might have 

 worked with some degree of comfort had been most unfortui^ately 

 absorbed by the erection of a huge ice-house intended as a store- 

 room for the fish obtained. The port gangway was given over to 

 the working of the trawl, so that the little space that remained 



* Sea Fisheries. Report Trawling Operations N.S.W. , H. M. C. S. 

 "Thetis," 1898. 



