2 KEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The following telegram was received from the Coiiuiiissioiier on 

 July 9: 



President diiocts Albatross to carry ageuts of tlieGovernmeut to Seal Islands, Bering 

 Sea, and remain witli tliem during tlieir investigation to continue all summer. You 

 will arrange to carry out President's instructions. Fisli Commission work will be 

 given up unless you ftud opportunity to do something. Agents will meet youinSau 

 Francisco. Full details later. 



Ensign H. B. Wilson, TJ. S. Navy, reported for duty on the 10th. 



Learning from the i)nblic press that Prof. T. O. Mendenhall, superin- 

 tendent of the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, had been appointed 

 commissioner, I met him by arrangementon his arrival in San Francisco 

 and made all necessary preparations for the voyage. His colleague, 

 Dr. 0. Hart Merriam, had not arrived, but was expected at any time, 

 and then they woiild be ready to sail. 



Little remained to be done except to take on a further supply of fuel, 

 mess stores, etc., and, returning to San Francisco on the 14th, final 

 IH-eparations were completed the next day, when the following telegram 

 was received from the Commissioner: 



T. C. Mendenhall and C. Hart Merriam have been df-signated as agents to visit 

 Bering Sea. In accordance with President's directions you will receive them ou 

 board and carry out the instructions they may give you. All possible facilities for 

 the conduct of their inquiries Avill be furnished by you. 



The commissioners came on board at 5 p. m., July 10, when we imme- 

 diately got under way and proceeded to sea en route to the Seal Islands, 

 via Unalaska. It was desirable to reach our destination as soon as 

 jn^acticable, yet I deemed it advisable to start at moderate speed, with 

 fires under one boiler only, as nearly all of the engineer's force were 

 new to the ship, and strangers to each other. A heavy head sea was 

 encountered during the first night and next day, but on the ISth the 

 weather moderated, and everything was working so smoothly that tires 

 were started under the second boiler, and the speed increased to 10^ 

 and 11 knots j)er hour. 



The weather was generally cloudj^, with frequent mists and showers 

 of rain, and light to moderate winds from northwest to southwest. Few 

 birds were seen during the trip, mostly petrels and the brown albatross. 

 A question arose as to whether the same birds followed the vessel day 

 after day, and, to decide the point, one of the latter was taken and 

 labeled; when released he deviated neither to the right nor left, but 

 disai^peared as quickly as his rapid flight would allow, and was never 

 seen again. Whales were of almost daily occurrence, and porpoises 

 were seen occasionally. No seals were observed, however, outside of 

 Bering Sea. 



The water was literally covered for hours at a time during the trip 

 Avith velellas, medusiie, and floating barnacles, the latter in clusters 

 from 1 to 6 inches in diameter, each individual being joined by its stem 

 to a fleshy mass common to the colony. Many of these masses were 

 opened and found to contain the skeleton of a velella. A piece of kelp 



