lxxx GENERAL SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC AND 



During the present year the United States steamer Tusca- 

 rora, Commander George E. Belknap, has been employed in 

 taking deep-sea soundings in the North Pacific Ocean, for 

 the purpose of ascertaining a practicable route for a subma- 

 rine cable between the United States and Japan. The north- 

 ern and southern routes between these countries have been 

 examined by running lines of soundings. The line on the for- 

 mer route commenced at Cape Flattery, touching the Aleu- 

 tian Islands, skirted the coasts of the Kurile Islands, and ter- 

 minated at Yokohama, Japan. On the latter route the line 

 commenced at San Diego, California, touching the Hawaiian 

 and the Bonin Islands, and terminated also at Yokohama. 

 Besides these lines of soundings, others were run on and off 

 shore between Cape Flattery and San Diego, for the purpose 

 of determining the continental outline, or the commencement 

 of the ocean -bed proper. Having completed the duty in 

 question, the vessel returned to San Francisco, and Command- 

 er Belknap himself has been detached and ordered to duty 

 with the Coast Survey. 



A course for a cable was marked out, sufficientlv gentle in 

 its slope and of suitable condition of sea-bottom for such an 

 enterprise. It being thought expedient to survey a more 

 direct route, the vessel has been again ordered into service, 

 and is now engaged in a line of soundings from San Francis- 

 co to the Sandwich Islands, and from that point, possibly, to 

 Australia and to Japan. 



Samples of the sea-bottom at each sounding were obtained 

 and transmitted by the Navy Department to the Smithsoni- 

 an Institution, the authorities of which placed them for ex- 

 amination in the hands of Professor Hamilton L. Smith, of 

 Geneva, N. Y., an expert in this branch of science. This 

 gentleman has already obtained some extremely interesting 

 facts, as well as many new species of microscopical objects. 



Among the other operations prosecuted under the auspices 

 of the Hydrographic Office of the United States Navy, may 

 be mentioned the following : 



A survey of the coasts and gulf of Lower California, and 

 of the Revillagigedo group. Tins has been nearly completed, 

 and the preliminary charts will be issued (in four sheets). 



A running survey of the gulf coast of Mexico has been 

 made by Lieutenant-Commander Green, of the United States 



