REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE STEAMER ALBATROSS. 



[Abstract.] 



By Lieut. Commander J. F. Moser, U. S. N. 



During the first part of the fiscal year, until December 15, the A Ibatross 

 was emj)loyed in fur-seal investigations, under direction of the Treasury 

 Department. After an extensive cruise in the North Pacific Ocean, 

 Bering Sea, visiting the difterent seal islands, she returned via Japan 

 and Honolulu. The vessel was relieved from duty under the Treasury 

 Department December 15, and the latter part of the year was engaged 

 in fishery investigations ofi" the coast of southern and central California 

 until May, when preparations were made for an examination of the 

 streams of southeast Alaska, to determine their fishery resources. 



During the year there were 153 days spent at sea underway and in 

 open anchorages, and 13,925 miles were steamed by log. The want of 

 reliable charts for navigation on the Asiatic coast was felt, and, incident- 

 ally to the regular work of the vessel, many hydrographic omissions 

 and errors were noted and corrected. Attention is called, in the report 

 of the vessel work, to the many doubtful islands, reefs, and shoals on or 

 near the regular tracks of vessels between Yokohama, Honolulu, and 

 San Francisco. Hydrographic notes and observations, particularly of 

 the Eobben and Kuril islands, were comjiiled which, accompanied by 

 photographs and sketches, have been transmitted to the office of the 

 U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survej^ 



The itinerary of the vessel was as follows: 



Dutch Harbor, Unalaska July 2-6 



PribUof Islands July 8-19 



Dutch Harbor, L'nalaska July 20-23 



Commander Islands July 30- Aug. 9 



Petropaulski Harbor, Kamchatka Aug. 11-19 



Kuril Islands Aug. 22-26 



Robben Island, Okhotsk Sea Aug. 28-Sept. 1 



Shana Anchorage, Kuril Islands Sept. 4-6 



Hakodate Harbor, Tezo Island, Japan, Sept. 10-19 

 Yokohama Harbor, Japan Sept. 22-Oct. 22 



Honolulu Harbor, Oahu Island, Hawaii, Nov. 7-30 



Sausalito Harbor, California Dec. 11-30 



San Diego Bay, California Jan. l-Apr. 5 



Santa Catalina Island, California Apr. 6-10 



Monterey Bay, California Apr. 11-24 



Sausalito Anchorage Apr. 25-May 8 



Ports on Puget Sound, Washington May 14-30 



Ports and anchorages in British Colum- 

 bia and southeast Alaska Juno 1-30 



The commission appointed by the President in June, 1896, to investi- 

 gate the condition of the fur-seal herds of the Pribilof, Commander, 

 and Kuril islands consisted of Dr. David Starr Jordan, of Leland Stan- 

 ford Junior University; Mr. Leonhard Stejneger and Mr. F. A. Lucas, 

 of the United States National Museum; Lieut. Commander Jeff. F. 

 Moser, U. S. N., commander of the steamer Albatross; Mr. C. H. Town- 



OXLVll 



