squalls from time to time and the wind force got up to U. I observed at 

 this time that the two searchlights on the bridge were not much help to 

 those v;ho were v/orking on the main deck, and I thought that it would be 

 more advantageous to place lights on the forward part of the saloon so 

 that they could aid the operations without shining too strongly into the 

 fishermen's eyes. 



On the following day, the 12th, at 3:15 P.f-. we took skipjack on the 

 trolling lines on both sides of the boat. One weighed 1 kan 500 moime 

 /~12.4. pounds_7 snd the other weighed 1 kan 100 moaine / 9.1 po^lnds7. At 

 this time the cloud cover v^as 10 and the color of the sea water was some- 

 what unfavorable. 



On the 13th at 4.:00 A. Hi. we began our sixth set about 200 miles south 

 of Nauru. Tv/o yellowfin (two more got away as they were being hauled in), 

 U big-eyed, 2 spearfish, 3 sharks, and one skipjack were taken. The con- 

 dition of the fish on the lines was in general as follows: (a) The various 

 tunas showed some tendency to congregate. (b) The stomachs of the sharks 

 were empty. (The sharks caught at the third set even had pieces of wood 

 and spearfish spears in their stomachs.) One snail skipjack was almost 

 all that was found in the stomachs of the spearfish. Judging from these 

 facts, the waters of this area appear to present truly pelagic conditions. 

 (c) V'/eather and sea conditions at the time the lines were set were thought 

 to be extremely favorable for fishing, but the poor catch ratio contradicted 

 our expectations. (d) As far as currents are concerned, we appeared to be 

 following the main stream of the Equatorial Current. (e) The vertical 

 distribution of water temperatures at last was tending to become normal. 

 (The matters considered in (c) and (d) come witiiin the scope of the preceding 

 section but they are inserted here for convenience' sake.) 



On the nth at 10:00 A.M. one skipjack bit on the trolling line, but it 

 got away. Immediately afterward a large number of skipjack were seen jump- 

 ing. At 3:00 P.R:. the seventh set wss made 1^0 miles southeast of Ocean I. 

 In this trial, as reported at the beginning of this section, our entire 

 catch comprised 29 yellowfin. I imagine that these fish could not be con- 

 sidered to be yellowfin which regularly inhabit the waters around Ocean I. , 

 but they were more likely part of a migratory school. 



On the morning of the 15th vie circled Ocean I, at about 3 miles dis- 

 tance and encountered a school of skipjack in the vicinity. 



The follov;ing day at 10:00 A.Ii:. v;e took one skipjack on the trolling 

 line. It was somewhat smaller than those which we had taken before. 

 /The sam.e day we took a dolphin which was? 120 cm long and 3 kan 300 

 momne /27.3 pounds? in weight. Beginning at 2:50 P.r.'. of the same day 

 we ran oiar eighth (and final) fishing station about 20 miles west of 

 Tarawa in the Gilberts. The results v/ere not expected to be very good, 

 but whether it v/as because of the abuuidance of microscopic life in the 

 water or for som.e other reason, the fishing v/os quite successful, 11 

 yellowfin, 2 big-eyed, and 5 sharks being taken. The most remarkable 

 thing about this catch was the 13 kan spearfish which was m.entioned 

 above. Another thing was the shark problem. Thinking it over now, it 

 seems that a shark fishery in the waters south of Jaluit could be 



8 



