REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XCIII 



It liad been intended the present year to extend the surveys in a 

 westerly and northerly direction as far as circumstances would permit, 

 and judging from the success obtained in 1890 it was expected that 

 additional fishing grounds of great value would be discovered and 

 marked out. Other and more urgent requirements of the public service, 

 which arose at this time, however, made it necessary to abandon these 

 plans, and to dispatch the Albatross on a special mission. 



In connection with the controversy respecting pelagic sealing in the 

 North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea, between Great Britain and the 

 United States, commissioners had been appointed by both Governments 

 to investigate the conditions of seal life in those regions, and, no other 

 suitable vessel being available, the Albatross was, by direction of the ■ 

 President, placed at the service of the two representatives on the part 

 of the United States, Prof. T. C. Mendenhall and Dr. C. Hart Merriam. 

 Instructions announcing this change of detail were telegraphed to the 

 commander of the Albatross on July 9, and on the 10th of that mouth, 

 both commissioners having arrived on board, the ship set sail directly 

 for Unalaska, where she arrived on the 25th. The steamer Danube, 

 conveying the British commissioners, Sir George Baden-Powell and 

 Dr. George M. Dawson, reached Unalaska on the same day. 



After coaling, the Albatross proceeded to St. (ieorge Island, the more 

 southern of the two Seal Islands, remaining there a part of one day, 

 and thence going to St. Paul Island on the afternoon of July 28. On 

 tlie following day the commissioners took up their residence on shore, 

 owing to the difliculty and, at times, uncertainty of making a landing 

 from the ship. There are no protected harbors on either of the Pribilof 

 Islands, and anchorages have to be changed with the shifting of the 

 winds whenever the latter are strong, but, according to Lieut. Com- 

 mander Tanner, an able steamer may lay safely at anchor long after 

 communication with the shore has become impracticable. The officers 

 of the Albatross did not participate directly in the seal investigation, 

 but rendered such assistance as was requested of them by the Ber- 

 ing Sea commissioners. Visits were paid, however, to some of the 

 rookeries and killing-grounds, and many incidental observations were 

 recorded. On July 29 the shij) was called upon by tlie Treasury agent 

 at the islands to aid in capturing a schooner which had been detected, 

 in killing seals with rifies oft" Northeast Point rookery, but the poacher 

 had been seized by the revenue-cutter Corwin before the Albatross 

 arrived upon the spot. 



On August 3 a fishing and dredging trip was made oft" the southern 

 and western sides of St. Paul Island, the beam trawl being used at 

 five stations, in depths of 20 to 51 fathoms. The bottom was found to 

 consist of fine gray or black sand and shells, with scattered pebbles 

 and traces of black mud in some places. A great variety of inverte- 

 brate life was obtained, but not many specimens of any group, except 

 starfishes and sea-cucumbers, which were very abundant. Only a 



