stormy 'jeithor and an insufficiency of hands. Ho'^jovor, 1,497 albacoro viovj 

 taken. Because of the storms, cm Cctcber 5 the vosool hcac'cd back again 

 to Area II, proceoding to an area sovth of th-dt £\2'i:iA previously. Lines 

 were set on the ^th at 175° 43 •'^J, 4'^°, i4'N.- nnd again on the 5th about 100 

 miles ^TOst of that position. In the tv;o days 175 albaooro as well as other 

 fish V7ere taken. Because of a lack of bait, the vessel headed homo'vard, 

 arrival at Misaki being scheduled for October 17, but one day was spent 

 in avoiding a typhoon and the vessel did not roach port until 1:00 P.M. on 

 the l^th. The catch was land 3d and sold, bringing ¥ 6,611.10. 



On this cruise a particular effort v/as made to ascertain the value of 

 the fishing grounds in /Ireas II and III. Zones of suitable water -TOre 

 selected and tv/o trials were run in /Lroa III, while a total of four tests 

 on two occasions W'-re naie in Area II. Froui uhese six trials it was possible 

 to determine the proraising character of these e;rouads , 



1^'ater temperatui'-os on the fishing prounds wore generally lo\7, being 

 from 15° to 17,5''. It was the season of changing water temperature, and 

 lines of discontinuity v;ero found every.;here, hov;evcr, there was a good 

 deal of stormy weather which stirred up the surf'^-co water so that the zones 

 of suitable water were often lost resulting in difficulties in operation, 



Betvjeen the departure from Hisaki and the arrival in A.roa III a large 

 school of skipjack was sighted on September 3 in v/atcr of 25,5° temperature. 

 Later on September 12 the trolling lines took I6 altacore from water of 

 13.2° to 16.5° temperature. 



4. Conditions on the fishing groujids 



(a) Currents 



On the first cruise the currents on the fishing grounds v;crc generally 

 northerly and ranged in speed from a maximum of 0.3 miles per hour to almost 

 imperceptible. Southerly currents vjoro encountered once, easterly currents 

 three times, southeast currents twice, northeast currents five times, a 

 west current once, a northy/est current once, and a northerly current four 

 times. On the second cruise the currents were generally easterly with a 

 range in velocity from a maximum of about 1 knot to almost imperceptible. 

 Southeast currents were encountered four times, northeast currents twice, 

 and the rest were all easterly. On the t?iird cruise the fir!:t operation 

 in Area III was carried out in an easterly current of 0.35 knot velocity, 

 while the second was m.ide in an almost imperceptible easterly current. All 

 four trials in Area II were fished in oas+or^y currents ranging in velocity 

 from a maximum of 0.75 knot to aLnost imperceptible. On the fishing prounds 

 of Area I the currents v/erc confused. A northwest current v/as encountered 

 once, northeast currents t?;icc, easterly currents six tinios, southeast 

 currents six times, a south current once, and a southwest current once. 

 Maximum velocities of 0.5 knot and minimum velocities of 0.3 knot v/ere 

 observed. (See Figure 2) 



49 



