H.—lsa

Fourteenth Haul. —The net was put down again abreast of the Waimakariri Eiver, in 6 fathoms, at 7.45 p.m.; bottom sand and mud. Towed an hour and a half N.E. f N., then altered the course to E. by S. J S., and towed on this course for another hour and a half, and took up the net in 11 fathoms. The result was 43 soles, 42 flounders, 460 red-cod, 12 skate, and 4 Macrurus australis. Fifteenth Haul. —Shot the net again at 11 p.m., in 12 fathoms, on a sand bottom, and towed for two hours and a half. The first half of the course was N. -J E., and the second half S.E. by E. -J- S. The fish taken were 29 soles, 46 flounders, 2 ling, 164 red-cod, 4 Macrurus australis, 2 skate, and a number of elephant-fish, dog-fish, and octopi. Sixteenth Haul. —The net was put down for the last time before returning to port at 2 a.m., in 12 fathoms, on a sand bottom, and picked up in the same depth at 4 a.m. The direction towed was S.E. by S. \S. The fish taken were 8 soles, 9 flounders, 440 red-cod, 1 ling, 2 skate, and 4 Macrurus australis. On the 17th March the " Doto," having coaled, sailed from Lyttelton for Akaroa at 3 p.m., arriving there at 10 p.m. Seventeenth Haul. —On Monday, the 19th March, we left Akaroa at 6 a.m. Off Akaroa Heads a stiff southerly breeze was blowing, with a confused sea, that made work impossible there, so we steamed south until we were abreast of Lake Ellesmere Spit. Good bottom was found at 10 fathoms, and the net was put over for the first time at 9.35 a.m. Towed S.W. fW. for one hour and a half, and picked up in 10 fathoms off a sand bottom. Eesult: 75 red-cod, 18 soles, 23 flounders, 1 gurnard, and 1 conger-eel. Eighteenth Haul. —After the net was taken up at station 17 steamed out S.S.W. for an hour into 20 fathoms, soundings with the lead showing a clean sand bottom. Shot the net at 12.30 p.m., and towed due south for one hour and a half. Hauled up in 23 fathoms ; bottom clean sand. The fish taken in this haul were 14 lemon-soles, 2 soles, 1 megrim, 2 horse-mackerel, 1 gurnard, 2 skate, and 20 red-cod. Nineteenth Haul. —Steamed inshore from station 18, and put down the net off the mouth of the Eakaia Eiver, in 7 fathoms, on a sand bottom, at 3.30 p.m. Towed S.W. \S. for seventy minutes, when the net was taken up in 10 fathoms, the result being 16 soles, 13 flounders, 3 turbot, 60 red-cod, 20 skate, 15 dog-fish, and 4 octopi. Tiventieth Haul. —Steamed out from station 19, course due south, for half an hour. Tested the bottom in 11 fathoms, but found it stony. Continued the same course into 12 fathoms, but found bad bottom. Further on, in 13 fathoms, got on to sand, and put over the net at 6.5 p.m. Towed S.W. JS. for fifteen minutes, and got on to bad bottom in 14 fathoms. When the net was taken up skate and red-cod were the only fish represented. Twenty-first Haul.—k strong breeze off the land, with a choppy sea, compelled us to go inshore after picking up at station 20. Soundings were made in IOJ and 8| fathoms, but the lead brought up stones. Steamed in to 7 fathoms, where a sand bottom was found, and the net was put down about a mile and a half off shore, half way between the Eakaia and Ashburton Eivers, at 7.25 p.m. Towed S.W. \S. for one hour and a half, and picked up off a gravelly bottom in. 7 fathoms. The fish taken were 6 flounders, 4 soles, and 28 red-cod. Quantity and variety of fish very poor. Twenty-second Haul. —Continuing work down the coast, off the Ninety-mile Beach, the net was put down to the north of the Ashburton Eiver, in 5J fathoms, on a soft-sand-and-mud bottom, at 9.35 p.m. The course towed was S.W. by S. \ S., and the net was hauled up at 12 midnight in 7 fathoms. The fish taken were 29 flounders, 10 soles, and 50 red-cod. Twenty-third, Haul. —The net was again put down in 7 fathoms, at 12.55 a.m., on a sand bottom. Continued towing down the coast S.W. \ S., and hauled up at 3.15 a.m. in 8 fathoms. This haul of the net yielded 12 flounders, 9 soles, 93 red-cod, 2 skate, 2 ling, 7 gurnard, and a number of dog- and elephant-fish. Twenty-fourth Haul. —Shot the net in 8 fathoms, at 3.40 a.m., on a sand bottom. Towed S.W. -J S. for two hours and twenty minutes, and hauled up in 9 fathoms. The result of this haul was very poor, only yielding 4 soles, 4 flounders, 3 gurnard, and a number of elephant-fish and octopi. Twenty-fifth Haul. —After picking up at station 24 we steamed out S.E. by S. into 28 fathoms, and the net was put down on a sand-and-shell bottom at 8 a.m. Towed S.W. for two hours, picking up at 10 o'clock in 24 fathoms. This haul proved a blank, owing to the net getting twisted in shooting. Twenty-sixth Haul. —Steamed inshore from station 25 N.W. by N. for two hours and ten minutes. Soundings were made at 18, 16, and 12 fathoms. The trawl was put down about four miles south of the Eangitata Eiver, in 4 fathoms, at 12.20 p.m.; bottom coarse sand. Towed S. by W. J W. for an hour and twenty minutes, when it was picked up in 6 fathoms off a gravelly bottom. This haul yielded 20 soles, 4 flounders, 120 red-cod, 2 ling, 8 Macrurus australis, and 1 hapuku. Twenty-seventh Haul. —-Steamed down the coast for half an hour, and shot the net in 4-J fathoms, immediately south of the Opihi Eiver, at 2.30 p.m. Towed due south for an hour and a quarter, when the net got foul of a snag, and was taken up badly damaged. The cod-end being intact contained 13 soles, 1 turbot, 2 ling, and 150 red-cod. Went into Timaru to coal and repair nets and gear. Twenty-eighth Haul. —Went out from Timaru at 7.50 a.m. on the 22nd March, steamed an hour due east, and put down the net in 10 fathoms; bottom soft sand. Towed E. by S. J S., and picked up the net in 13 fathoms at 10.20 a.m. The fish taken in this haul were 28 soles, 11 megrims, 1 barracouta, 10 skate, and 1 tarakihi. Twenty-ninth Haul.— From station 28 steamed E.S.E. two hours. Soundings with the lead in 25 fathoms showing sand and broken shell the net was put down at 12.30 p.m., towed E.S.E., and picked up in 50 fathoms at 2.5 p.m. Result: 152 tarakihi, 2 megrims, 1 gurnard, 3 oysters, a collection of crabs, and a large quantity of marine vegetation.

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