210 KEPOKT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



;iii<l others \isitiii.i; the works. LcuviiiL;' the mine at r»:;U), we steameil 

 to the southward. ( )u the 23(1, at 3:55 }>. m., cast the trawl in 3-JU latli- 

 oiiis, blaek sand and j;ravcl bottoiu, Leinesurier l\)iiit bearing NE. i| E. 

 (mag.), distant 2 ,-„- miles. After dragging a short distance, the trawl 

 entered a soft mud bottom, with a\ hieh the net became lilk'd, and it 

 reiiuired several hours careful work to land it on board. Jlundreds of 

 sea urchins were brought up, besides starlish, ophiurans, annelids, shells, 

 etc. One hagfish and another small fish, S])ecies unknown, were taken. 

 The absence of lish was notable, and would seem to indicate unusually 

 barren ground. A line of dredgings through the channels would be 

 exceedingly interesting, as the only means of determining the species 

 and general distribution of lish, occupying the inland waters of south-' 

 eastern Alaska in summer time. Continuing our course to the south- 

 ward, Victoria was reached at 8:40 p. m., without stop or incident, on 

 the2(>th. 



The senatorial committee visited the principal places of interest in 

 the city tlie following morning, including the dockyard and new dry 

 dock at ]<]squimalt. We were under way at 3:40 p. m,, and with steani 

 and sail ran across the straits to Port Towusend, arriving at 7:35 

 p. m. Seattle Avas reached at 3 p. m. the next day, and Tacoma at 7 :30. 

 The members of the Senate committee were landed immediately, and, 

 with many expressions of gratification at the results of the trip and 

 regrets at its termination, took their departure. Prof. C. H. Gilbert 

 left also, with instructions to return to Washington. 



WASHINGTON, OREGON, AND CALIFORNIA, AUGUST-OCTOBER, 1889. 



Preparations for cruise to Bering iSea. — We started tor Port Town- 

 send at 8:57, arriving at 11:50 a. m. on the 2yth, haying been detained 

 about eight hours by fog. Supi)lies were obtained at this place, and, 

 after comideting our preparations for sea, we left at 2:30 p. m., August 

 ], for Departure l>ay, IJritisli (Columbia, arriving at 5:10 the following 

 morning. Coaling w as finished on the morning of the -Ith, and we left 

 the harbor at 2 p. m. for Bering Sea via Unalaska, under one boiler, 

 the coal (•onsumi)tion l)eing limited to 10 tons ])er day. The sky was 

 cleai', but the smoke, wliich had the etfect of log, obscured everything 

 at a distance. This was caused by forest fires which j^revail through- 

 out. Oregon, AVashington, and British Columbia during the dry season, 

 when the smoke becomes so dense at times that it is more dreaded by 

 mariners than fog, rendering navigation exceedingly difficult and da'n- 

 gerous. It is ])revalent until dissi])ated by the autumn rains. 



We i)asscd S(!ymonr Nanows at 4:15 a. m. on the 5th, an hour before 

 low water, ami, although the swirls were somewhat heavy, the tide 

 had slackened sufficiently to enable us to keep control of the helm 

 without undue strain. It was discovered soon after leaving Departure 

 Bay that the coal on board was of an inferior quality, and the allow- 

 ance was increased to 12 tons per day, but even then we could not 



