CXLVIII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



send, naturalist J Col. Joseph Murray, special agent of tlie Treasury, and 

 Mr. G. A. Clark, secretary. The report covering their work will be made 

 by that commission. All the commissioners visited the Pribilof Islands, 

 and Dr. Stejneger and Lieut. Commander Moser were instructed to visit 

 the Asiatic side, the former being detailed to make the report. 



Submitted herewith are extracts and tables from the report of Lieut. 

 Commander Moser covering the subsequent work of the vessel: 



PACIFIC COAST FISHERIES. 



In summing up the work of this vessel for the six months ending 

 June 30, 1897, that part relating to the salmon and halibut fisheries of 

 Alaska, which commenced June C, forming part of the work for the 

 summer and fall, will not be referred to, but left for the full report for 

 the six months ending December 31, 1897. The fisheries in the vicinity 

 of Santa Catalina Island and the salmon trials with deep-sea gill nets 

 will here be chiefly considered. 



Under instructions of March 24, the Albatross was directed to examine 

 the shelf surrounding the island of Santa Catalina with reference to its 

 fishing resources. This island lies 18 miles south of Point Fermin (San 

 Pedro) and is separated from the mainland by the San Pedro Channel. 

 Its extreme length is 18i miles in a general east-and-west direction, 

 extreme breadth 7 miles, average width 4 miles, and length of shore 

 line about 45 miles. It is mountainous, with precipitous slopes, the 

 highest peak reaching an altitude of 2,109 feet. About 6 miles from 

 the extreme western end a break occurs in the mountain system con- 

 necting the two parts by a very narrow isthmus about one-half mile 

 long, which gives it the appearance of two islands when aj^proaching 

 from the northward. There are several coves in which large vessels 

 may find a lee, but no harbors for an all-around protection. The jyre- 

 cipitous character of the shore line is sufficient indication that the 

 shore shelf is narrow. The oO-fathom curve is nowhere more than 2^ 

 miles from shore, and generally within a mile, while the greatest dis- 

 tance of the lOO-fathom curve, so far as the hydrography has been 

 developed, is less than 4 miles. 



The character of the bottom generally is mud, with areas of mud and 

 sand, or mud and shells, or all combined. At a few points outside of 

 the immediate shore line and off the eastern and southeastern parts of 

 the island small areas of rocky bottom are found. 



The visit of the Albatross during the first part of April was at a 

 period when the migratory fishes had not yet appeared, or at least the 

 advance guard of a few species had only commenced to run. I can 

 therefore only speak of what might be termed the winter or early spring- 

 fishing. From the morning of our arrival at Isthmus Cove, April 6, t» 

 the morning of departure, April 10, the drag seines, gill nets, trawl 

 lines, hand lines, and beam trawl were constantly used whenever ])rac- 

 ticable, in depths varying between a few fathoms to 130 fathoms. The 

 principal stations were made at Isthmus Cove and vicinity, in Catalina 



