WORK OP THE STEAMER ALBATROSS. 315 



TJ. S. Navy, was detached April 11, Assistant Paymaster Eugene D. 

 Ryan, D. S. Navy, reporting as his relief the same day 5 Ensign 0. F. 

 Hughes, U. S. Navy, reported May 5. 



The following ofiQcers were attached to the AJhatross June 30, 1893: 

 Commander Z. L. Tanner, IJ. S. Navy, commanding; Lieut. A. F. 

 Fechtelcr, U. S. Navy, executive officer and navigator; Ensign II. B. 

 "Wilson, U. S. Navy; Ensign E. A. Anderson, U. S. Navy; Ensign 0. 

 M. Fahs, U. S. Navy; Ensign C. F. Hughes, U. S. Navy; Passed 

 Assistant Surgeon T. A. Berryhill, U. S. Navy; Assistant Paymaster 

 Eugene D. Ryan, U. S. Navy; Passed Assistant Engineer A. M. Hunt, 

 U. S. Navy. 



The civilian staff consisted of 0. H. Townsend, resident naturalist; 

 A. B. Alexander, fishery expert; N. B. Miller, assistant in scientific 

 department; Harry Clifford Fassett, captain's clerk. 



The present crew-list of fifty-three enlisted men is totally inadequate 

 for the i)erformance of the ordinary duties of the vessel while engaged 

 in the work of deep-sea exploration, and the practice of shipj^ing a 

 temporary force of civilians on the eve of sailing is still followed. The 

 original number of enlisted men, sixty-eight, was based on the manual 

 force required to carry on the work of the vessel, watch and watch, 

 which is absolutely necessary when operations are continued night and 

 day, as has been the custom on board this vessel. 



The general health of officers and crew has been excellent, and the 

 hygienic condition of the vessel continues most satisfactory. 



The Albatross has been seventy-five days at sea and has steamed 

 9,610 miles during the year. 



REPORT BY A. B. ALEXANDER ON FISHERY INQUIRIES. 



The Albatross left Mare Island navy-yard on the morning of May 20, 

 1893. The first fishing was at Comox, Vancouver Island, on May 30. 

 The beaches here are very poor for seine hauls; in most places they are 

 rocky and generally unsuited for collecting with nets. No economic 

 species were taken in the seine. Clams were fairly abundant. 



These mollusks constitute one of the princij)al articles of food of the 

 small Indian tribe which lives here during the summer months. This 

 tribe, numbering about one hundred persons, camps here annually for 

 the purpose of laying in a supply of salmon for the winter. All fish 

 taken intended for future use are either dried or smoked. Fish to be 

 smoked are hung on lines or poles near the roofs of the huts or houses, 

 where the smoke freely circulates among them; those to be dried are 

 thrown upon the rocks or sand and left until they are sufficiently 

 cured to admit of being jpacked away and shipped to the winter settle- 

 ment, which is near the town of Union, 13 miles from the coast. 



I saw no seines or nets of any kind at the fishing settlement, and 

 presume, from what information I could gain, that all salmon are taken 

 by trolling. Salmon are sufficiently plentiful to supply the wants of 

 both the white and Indian po]>ulations, but not numerous enough to 

 induce capital to build canneries. 



