REPORT UPON THE INQUIRY RESPECTING FOOD-FISHES AND 

 THE FISHING-GROUNDS. 



By Richaud Raiiibun, Asuintant in charge. 



NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN AND BERING SEA. 



The priucipal investigations conducted under this division during 

 the past year have related to the fur seal in the Korth Pacific Ocean 

 and Bering Sea, the oyster- grounds and other fishery matters along the 

 Atlantic seacoast, and the requirements for fish-culture in the Eocky 

 Mountain region and the Gulf States. 



The steamer Albatross has been much more actively employed than 

 during any previous year, if the amount of work accomplished be 

 measured by the time spent at sea and the total distance sailed, but 

 only a very short period was given specially to that class of fishery 

 inquiries with which this shi]3 has hitherto been chiefly occupied. 

 Early in the fall a brief reconnaissance was made of the Strait of Juan 

 de Fuca, which served to make known its principal resources, and to 

 point out the difficulties which must be encountered in prosecuting 

 extensive fisheries in that deep arm of the sea. During the balance of 

 the j^ear, however, fishing and dredging trials were only incidental 

 features of the work. From September IS, 1891, until March 12, 1892, 

 the Albatross was engaged, under the direction of the Secretary of the 

 Navy, in running two lines of deep-sea soundings between the coast of 

 California and the Hawaiian Islands, with the object of determining 

 if a practicable route exists across that part of the Pacific Ocean for 

 the laying ot a telegraphic cable, a task which was successfully accom- 

 plished, notwithstanding the unfavorable season chosen for that pur- 

 pose and the inclement weather met with during most of the cruise. 



Aside from this purely hydrograi)hic survey and the short stay made 

 in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the operations of the Albatross have 

 related exclusively to the fur-seal inquiries in connection with the prep- 

 aration of the Bering Sea case for the proposed tribujial of arbitra- 

 tion at Paris. During the summer of 1891, this ship acted simply as a 

 transport for the Bering Sea commissioners. Dr. Mendenhall and Dr. 

 Merriam, conveying them to and from the Pribilof Islands, but on 

 March 15, 1892, she entered directly into the investigations which were 

 then begun to settle some of the main points in controversy respecting 

 the habits of the fur seals and the eifects of i)elagic sealing. 



LXXXVIU 



