10 
DREDGING OPERATIONS. 
(By C. HEDLEY, Assistant Curator Australian Museum, Sydney) 
In the programme of the field natural¬ 
ists a prominent plate was given to the 
study of marine life. Former excursions 
had made many valuable contributions to 
our knowledge of life under the sea, and 
preparations were made to prosecute 
these researches and to obtain further 
knowledge. 
A persistent westerly gale opposed the 
efforts of those interested in deep sea 
dredging. Sheltered though the camp 
was bv mountain and forest, the keen 
westerly whistled by tent and table, and 
its force could be gauged by the driving 
scud overhead and the white-topped 
waves in the bay. 
Each day plans were made and re¬ 
made, a start was arranged for daybreak, 
then for after breakfast, finally, but in 
vain, for the afternoon. Barometers were 
watched, but refused to rise as persistent¬ 
ly as the watched jiot refuses to boil. 
Weather prophets hardened their hearts 
when the conthologisls or ichthyologists 
besought a favourable forecast and de¬ 
clared that the gale must “blow itself 
out,” whatever that may mean, regard¬ 
less of scientific reeds. 
On the last day, the captain consented 
to take a party to sea, more because the 
excursion could not be wholly wasted 
than because the weather gave much hope 
of success. A small party was picked for 
the adventure rather for their toughness 
than for their science. This forlorn hope 
was escorted to the beach with befitting 
solemnity, and despatched with high re¬ 
solve, either to exact tribute from Nep¬ 
tune, or—to yield it. And, as lias so 
often happened to a desperate sally, they 
achieved more success than they ban 
anticipated. 
Rounding Cape Forestier the wind was 
found to have drawn a little further to 
the south than was apparent at the 
anchorage, so that the towering bulk of 
Mount I’reycinet screened the inshore 
water from the full force of the storm. 
Before leuving Hobart, two wire ropes, 
each 200 fathoms long, were spliced to¬ 
gether, in the hope that this would en¬ 
able the naturalist to penetrate beyond 
the continental shelf and to explore a 
new fauna in the deeper colder water that 
is yet unknown. Such hopes could not 
now be realised, and the extra length was 
not pnt to service. 
For the work a wire rope was first 
shackled to a bucket dredge, and to the 
tail of that again was fastened a few 
fathoms of rppe trailing an ordinary 
ilredge. Both were fitted with a swivel 
link, to prevent the spinning which sadly 
kinks and strains a rope. About a quar¬ 
ter of a mile from the cliffs this appara¬ 
tus was lowered overboard. The bucket 
floated away, aud slowly drowned before 
the steady gaze of seamen and scientists. 
How loaned would it return, or would 
it return at all? For a quarter of an 
hour it was dragged by the steamer drift¬ 
ing seawards before the wind. Then, 
when it had sunk to a depth estimated at 
30 fathoms it was hauled in by the winch. 
Steadily the rope returned through the 
yard-arm block, and over the reel, until 
a red phantom shone ill the sea, and a 
second later broke the surface. A yell 
from the watchers warned the winchman 
to slacken speed, and as the bucket 
dangled in the air the artist, I mean the 
artiste, with the camera caught it. An¬ 
other instant and the boathook caught it 
too, and dragged it inboard, empty, as 
empty as it went down. Still, there was 
a second string to our bow, and the 
manilla was smartly hauled in, hand over 
hand, till the dredge clattered against the 
side. But the dredge net was full and 
plump, and when tipped on the hatch 
by eager hands, spread a harvest of liv¬ 
ing closed Trigonia and dead separate 
Trigonia valves gleaming with beautiful 
nacre. A mat of Polyzoa, crabs crawl¬ 
ing through a heap of sand, a litter ol 
shells, ami through this pile quick fingers 
ran, snatching here and there a prize, 
naming and guessing, sorting and spying. 
Even the sailor folk were infected with 
our enthusiasm, and rough tarry hands 
strayed over the pile and picked out with 
admiration the living jewels of the sea. 
But our present business is neither to 
study nor admire, but to gather the har¬ 
vest. Si> the catch was quickly swept 
into bags and buckets. Again the gear 
was lowered gently and carefully over¬ 
board. By this time we hud drifted a 
half-mile further seawards. On the first 
occasion the dredge hail probably been 
sliding over the beds ol giant kelp which 
clot lie the rocky ground below the clitts. 
Hence the failure of the bucket to gather 
material. 
On the second return, both came up 
with a full charge. As the bucket rose 
out of the sea a Pyrosoma, like a great 
white cucumber, was seen balanced aeioss 
the handle. A hand stretched out from 
the rail to save it, but before the fingers 
closed on it tne bucket swung and the 
Pyrosoma floated back into the ocean. 
Now- we estimated our dpptli at 40 to 50 
fathoms, the bucket had ploughed into 
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