232 REPoirr of commissioner of fish and fisheries. 



lines l)ciii,i;- hrou^ht into iiMiuisitioii :il djiyliglit, repeatiiij^ oiu' experi- 

 ence of the previous day, except that the bottom at the various stations 

 Avas composed hirgely of bhick or green mud. Scattering specimens 

 only of codfish were taken. 



The sun came out during the afternoon, and we availed ourselves of 

 the long-sought opportunity of swinging sliip for the purpose of ascer- 

 taining compass errors. A dense fog shut down while we were taking 

 the last azimuth, so we congratulated ourselves on the success of the 

 evolution. Work was resumed until dark and sounding continued 

 throughout the night, but a southeast gale sprung up suddenly on the 

 morning of the 15th, which put a stop to our w(jrk and, in fact, drove 

 us into port a day or two earlier than was intended. A heavy sea 

 was enc(mntered, i)articularly while crossing the several ])asses into 

 the Pacific, and we were obliged to adopt measures never before con- 

 sidered necessary on board of this vessel, to protect skjdights, windows, 

 etc. Fog and mist obscured the laud until we were within a few miles 

 of Iliuliuk, Unalaska, where we arrived at p. m. the same day. 



The revenue cutter Bear, Alaska Commercial Company's steamers 

 Dora and KarluJcyUnd the North American Trading Company's steamer 

 AviKjo were in the harbor, two of them requiring coal. The Bear left for 

 the north at daylight on the 17th. The schooner Mattie T. Dyer arrived 

 the same afternoon and was seized by the collector for illegal sealing 

 in Alaskan waters. The deputy United States marshal made written 

 application on the 18th for assistance in removing the captured schooner 

 to a place of safety, and in compliance with his request she was taken 

 to tlie inner harbor and securely moored by an officer and party of men 

 fi'om this ship. 



The gale continued until the 19th. We coaled ship on the 20th and 

 21st, taking 100 tons, not encmgh to fill the bunkers, but iill we could get, 

 owing to a temporary scarcity at the station. The Alaska Commercial 

 Company's steamer ^t. Paul arrived from San Francisco on the 23d, 

 bringing us mail and supplies which were taken on board, and at G:30 

 J), m. we got under way and i)roceeded to sea, bound for Bristol Bay. 

 The weather was overcast with drizzling rain, mist, and fog, which 

 frequently obscured the land. 



Slime Hank. — Work was continued at daylight next morning of!" the 

 Northwest Cape of Unimak, successive lines of dredging and fishing 

 stations being run tangiuit to the coast. The beam trawl developed an 

 abundance of life on the bottom and tlic use of the hand lines soon 

 ])roved that we were on prolilic codlisli grounds. Fishermen have 

 given it the name of Slime Bank, from the numbers of medusaj brought 

 upon their gear. These Jellydshes are of a brownish or rusty color, 

 from ('» to IH inciies in diaineler, ha\o, long slender tentacles, and are 

 well armed with stinging organs. Tiiey were n(>t seen on the surface, 

 but inhabit an intermediate space, jn'obably near the bottom, for late 

 in the season, when their numbeis have greatly increased, the fisher- 



