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July 18. —Left Kaikoura at 6.30, and proceeded to take soundings. Passed Cape Campbell at 1 p.m. All the way from Kaikoura the bottom appears to be composed of reefs of rock with hollows filled with soft mud and clay, the shallower soundings always indicating hard rock, at times covered with fine sand and shell, and the deeper soundings indicating soft mud. Station 58: Seven miles N.N.E. of Cape Campbell the soundings showed improved ground, and the net was shot at 1.58 p.m. in 38 fathoms, gravel-and-shell bottom. Towed N. x W., and hauled in at 2.45 p.m. in 35 fathoms. The wires had come together as if foul, so only had 55 minutes' haul, which produced 85 large tarakihi and a few soles, barracouta, Macrurus Australia, &,c. A nice clean haul, with very few weeds. Station 59: Shot trawl again at 3.5 p.m. to try shallower water, and hauled up at 4.5 p.m in 25 fathoms, gravel-and-shell bottom. A good haul of tarakihi again for one hour's trawling, but also a good many unsaleable fish. Station 60: At 4.25 p.m. again shot the net to test closer in shore, and hauled up the trawl at 5.25 in 20 fathoms, fine-sand bottom, it being too late to stand in further. Result, a large quantity of unsaleable fish, a few tarakihi, crayfish, &c. Lay off Cape Campbell all night. July 19. —Station 61 : Steamed to west of White Bluff at daylight, and at 8.35 a.*, shot the net in 10 fathoms on a mud bottom. Hauled up at 9.45 a.m. from 15 fathoms, black-sand bottom. Haul consisted of 70 large tarakihi, also gurnard, ling, flounders, megrim, &c. The ground inside of this is at present worked by the local fishermen, so we did not go any further inshore. Station 62: Shot the net again at 10 a.m., steering E. J N., and hauled up at 11.30 a.m. in 30 fathoms from a black-sand bottom, 9 miles E.N.E. of Wairau. This haul produced 4 large cases of tarakihi, also a number of gurnard, hapuka, ling, skate, and elephant-fish. No flat-fish were taken. Station 63 : A fresh N.W. wind and increasing sea coming on, we steamed out N.E. x N., and at 12.35 shot the net in 58 fathoms, sand-and-gravel bottom. Trawled N.E., wind and sea increasing. Hauled up at 2.5 p.m. in 78 fathoms, 10 miles S.W. of Terawhiti. This haul produced only 8 marketable fish, with a large number of dogfish. Steered for Sinclair Head on account of heavy sea, but was unable to do any further trawling, so steamed on to Wellington for coal, &c, arriving at 5.30 p.m. July 20. —Took in coal, &c, and left for Napier at 4.30 p.m. July 21. —Sunday. Could not enter Napier owing to heavy S.E. gale. July 22. —Arrived in Napier at 10 a.m. July 23 and 2£. —In Napier, taking in coal, blowing down boiler, repairing refrigerator, &c. July 25. —Left Napier for Chatham Islands at 7.30 a.m. July 26. —Moderate northerly wind and overcast. Obtained no sights. July 27. —Fresh N.E. wind and moderate sea. Too overcast to take observations. July 28. —Sunday. Sighted Chatham Islands at 9 a.m., bearing N.E. Dropped anchor at 4 p.m. in Waitangi Bay, and went ashore to make inquiry re fishing-grounds, &c. July 29. —Station 64: Hove up anchor at 6.40 a.m. with the intention of making a complete circuit of the Islands for trawling* and sounding purposes, commencing in Petre Bay. Shot the net at 7.20 a.m. in 16 fathoms, bottom sharp sand. Trawled N.W. J? W. and hauled up at 8.30 a.m. from 24 fathoms, fine-sand bottom. Result: 33 large tarakihi, 1 lemon sole, and 2 megrim, also many thousands of a species of large swimming-crab, the total weighting of these being about a ton. No dogfish, elephant-fish, skate, or any other unsaleable kinds were taken. Station 65: Shot trawl again at 8.50 a.m. in 28 fathoms, bottom fine sand, and towed S.W. x S. Hauled up at 10.25 a.m. from 35 fathoms, sharp-sand bottom, 5 miles W. x N. of Clatchie Point. Results considerably better, a few more weeds, but less swimming-crabs: 82 large tarakihi, 2 brill, 4 lemon soles, 8 gurnard, a few ling, skate, &c. Station 66: Shot net 10.45 a.m. in 33 fathoms, bottom yellow sand, trawled S.W., and hauled up at 11.50 a.m. in 42 fathoms. This haul was still more encouraging. Lemon soles increasing with increased depth, also tarakihi. A few megrims and ling. The tarakihi appear to be taken here, as on the New Zealand coast, in the greatest quantities in from 30 to 40 fathoms. Unsaleable fish are still absent, and the bottom is an ideal one for trawling. Station 67: Shot net again in same position at 12.5 a.m., trawling S.W. x W., and hauled up at 1.45 p.m. in 50 fathoms, bottom fine yellow sand, 6 miles W\N.W. of Durham Point. Here we had evidently got out of the region of the tarakihi, only 3 being taken, a few soles and gurnard, and 1 ling. Station 68: Steamed through Cuba Strait to west side of Island, and shot the net in 45 fathoms at 3.35 p.m., bottom coarse sand and shell. Towed N.E. | N. and at 4 p.m. fouled, losing the greater part of the catch. Steamed in and dropped anchor for the night off Allison Point. July 80. —Hove up anchor at 6.40 a.m., and proceeded round Cape Paterson. The ground around this cape and in Waitangi West Bay is very reefy and unsuitable for trawling. There are very strong tide-rips abreast of Cape Paterson. Wind and sea increasing, so steamed back towards Cuba Channel. Took a number of soundings which tended to show that the bottom itself is hard and rocky, with loose sand and shell lying on top. Similar soundings were met with when a foul was struck yesterday. Dropped anchor in Whangaroa Harbour at 1 p.m. to test the line fishing, and also the beach with the purse seine, and the kelp reefs with various-sized set-nets. At 2 p.m. despatched the two ship's boats with three men each to the entrance of the harbour, and also two men to place set-nets within the harbour. The two boats returned at 4.30 p.m. with 207 blue-cod of very large size, and one hapuka, for two hours' fishing. July 31. —Despatched the two boats to the entrance of the harbour for line fishing at 8 a.m. Boats returned at noon both being deeply laden with blue-cod and hapuka; they also caught