INVESTIGATIONS OF THE ALBATROSS. 137 



A drive from Polavina rookery to Stony Point, a distance of 3 miles, 

 was made ou tlie morning of the 2Ctli for the benefit of Dr. Stejneger's 

 investigations. Tlie abnormal ice limit around the islands this year 

 lias retarded the arrival of the seals upon tlie rookeries at least two 

 weeks. Large quantities of floating ice were drifting about the islands 

 on the loth day of June. Innumerable snow patches extend to the 

 water line throughout the Aleutian chain and the Pribilofs, and are 

 remarked by all the natives as exceeding any previous record within 

 the last fifteen years. 



Dr. Stejneger returned ou board on the morning of June 26, and we 

 steamed out of Village Cove at 1.30 p. m., shaping our course to the 

 nearest point ou the fifty-sixth parallel, in order to connect with origi- 

 nal soundings made by this vessel in 1893. Accordingly we took up 

 the line of soundings in latitude 56° :^f,, longitude 177° 30' W., at 9.02 

 p. m. June 27. Xo bottom specimen was brought up, as the cup failed 

 to work, owing to a defect in the spiral valve spring which did not show 

 Itself upon previous examination. The interval was set at 40 miles 

 for this portion of Bering Sea. On the 28th we were compelled to lay 

 to for fourteen hours under fore and aft sail, with banked fires, owing 

 to a strong gale blowing from the SW., which was accompanied with 

 rain, mist, and sleet, and against which we could not make suitable 

 headway that would in any way have compensated for the amount 

 of coal it would have been necessary to burn or the extra wear and 

 strain it would have i)laced ujoon the engines. At 2.20 a. m. on the 

 29th we went ahead on our course, taking up the line of soundings on 

 the original parallel of 56° N. A comparatively uniform depth was 

 found, ranging between 2,056 aud 2,105 fathoms. Brown mud and 

 ooze defined this portion of the Bering Sea basin. 



A constant aud vigilant outlook was kept both day and night for 

 seals from the time the Albatross passed to the northward of Cape 

 Mendocino. One seal was seen while at anchor off Port Townsend, 

 which afforded considerable amusement to all hands. The dingey was 

 laying at the port lower boom, secured for the night. About 9 p. m. 

 the barking of a seal was heard around the ship. It proved to be a 

 male fur-seal between 3 and 4 years old. After swimming several 

 times around the ship it approached the dingey on tbe outboard side, 

 away from the ship, and having satisfied itself that the dingey was not 

 occupied, proceeded to get in, and, locating itself in the stern, remained 

 for the night. Several attemj)ts were made to capture this seal, but 

 without avail. A few seals were observed approaching the passes east 

 of Unalaska. None were seen on the passage to the Pribilofs until 

 within 1 or 2 miles of the islands, aud these were yearlings and bache- 

 lors, which were few in numbers. Leaving the islands, one or two 

 seals were seen at a distance of 5 miles. 



On the morning of the 29th the Albatross crossed the ISOth meridian 

 at 7 o'clock, changing the date to June 30; hence the end of the 

 fiscal year finds us engaged in running a line of soundings from St. 

 Paul Island to Bering Island. 



