238 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



THE FISCAL YEAR 1890-91. 

 BERING SEA, JULY AND AUGUST, 1890. 



Herendeen Bay. — Tlie Albatross was at anchor under Point Divide, 

 the entrance to Herendeen Bay, on June 30, ISDO. We luid called to 

 ascertain if coal could be procured from a recently opened mine, and 

 were informed by the superintendent that he could commence delivery 

 in about a week, providing a ligiiter he was building could be com- 

 pleted. We sent a carpenter to assist in the work, and rendered all 

 practicable aid in order to get a supply of fuel as quickly as possible. 

 In the meantime Ave commenced a survey, which was contiiuied during 

 our stay, and resulted in a chart in sufficient detail for purposes of 

 navigation. It includes the entrance to Port Mciller j the channel from 

 Entrance Point to Point Divide, called by us Hague Channel; the 

 narrow and intricate channel from the last-mentioned point to Marble 

 Point, which we named Johnston Channel, after the officer who surveyed 

 it, and a general examination of the bay, including Mine Harbor, the 

 shipping-point and headquarters of the company. On the morning of 

 July 2 we moved about a mile inside of Point Divide and anchored in 

 15 fiithoms. The tide ran ebb until 3 p. m., Avith a velocity of 3 or 4 

 knots per hour, with smooth water and nothing to indicate an insecure 

 or undesirable anchorage. A few minutes later the flood tide came 

 in with a bore between 2 and 3 feet in height, and when it struck 

 the shij) she picked u]) her anchor and started uj) the bay, but a second 

 anchor with a long scope of chain brought her up. Heavy tide rips 

 continued for hours, making it unsafe for a boat to approach the ship. 

 Tkc strength of current measured by the patent log was between 8 

 and knots ])er hour. 



It was evident that we (;ould not remain in our new berth, so at 

 slack water we worked our way through the narrow passage before 

 mentioned l)etween Point Divide and Marble Point, anchoring an hour 

 later in the upper bay, within 3 miles of Mine Harbor. A small quan- 

 tity of coal was procured on the 3d and tested in the steam gig. It 

 burned freely, with a long flame and straw-colored smoke, to a white 

 ash and cinder, but no clinker. This result was equally gratifying to 

 us and the superintendent of the mine. 



The 4th of July was celebrated by dressing ship Avith flags at the 

 mastheads and peak, the liist time the national holiday Avas ever ob- 

 served in Herendeen Bay by a United States vessel. 



We moved to Mine Harbor on the 5th, and moored in 17 fathoms, 

 AvhercAve fouiul good swinging room about a quarter of a mile from the 

 coal dunq) on the beach. The lighter AA^as launched on the evening of 

 the 7th and brought alongside on the 9th, Avith the lirst load of 43 tons 



