131 



ADDENDUM TO INTRODl'CTTON. 



Since the foregoiiii;' was in tv|i(' aiiothcr lisliinp; cxpciiiiicnl lias 

 been made here, and I am al)l(' to su])])l(Mii('iit tlic intrdductuiy 

 account, and brin^ the ivsuni(' of oix'rations to the end of the 

 century. 



The first intimation I Iiad of this latest Ncntiirc was the follow- 

 ing newspaper paragraph : — 



" FiSHiNCJ BY Electric Light. — The Fisheries Couunissiuners 

 are desirous of proving wdiether fish can be captured by electric 

 light, and have constructed a wire netting trap, which is con- 

 nected b}'' an electric light apparatus, with a view of undertaking 

 a series of experiments in deep-sea waters for the capture of fish. 

 They have also Avritten to the Colonial Secretaiy asking whether 

 the 'Thetis' can be lent for the purpose of trying the apparatus, 

 and in their letter they point out that this mode of capture has 

 been very successful at Monte Carlo and that if the experiment 

 pi'oves successful it will form an important factor in connection 

 with the fish supply of the metropolis. The Minister for Works, 

 to Avhom the request has been referred by the Colonial Secretary, 

 has approved of the 'Thetis' being lent for the pui-pose of the 

 experiment, and she will be placed at the disposal of the Com- 

 missioners for two or three days during next week." * 



The Fisheries Commissioners having kindly invited me to 

 witness the experiment, I once more joined the " Thetis," which 

 late on the 24th November, 1899, left the harbour and anchored 

 for the night in Botany Ba}^ Next day we proceeded southwai'd 

 and stood off Jervis Bay, where the first trial was made. The 

 apparatus, suspended from a boom, was seen to consist of a circular 

 fish-trap eleven or twelve feet in diameter, provided with six 

 entrances. Its central portion was occupied by a square box, the 

 sides of which were foi"med of silvered glass. An incandescent 

 electric lamp hung in front of each mirror, and before being 

 lowered fish-bait was placed within the trap. 



The apparatus was let down in daylight off the John Young- 

 Banks into twenty-six fathoms, but five minutes after the dynamo 

 was started the lights went out. The water pressure at the depth 

 attained had apparently been under-estimated, for on hauling the 

 ti'ap it was found that the connections had been damaged and 

 that some of the globes contained water. 



We then ran for Jervis Bay for repairs, and here the night was 

 spent. Unfortunately the sea had risen, so that next day (Novem- 



* Daily Telegraph, loth November, 1899. 



