INVESTIGATIONS OF THE STEAMER ALBATROSS. 199 



Soundings were continued to the island of St. George, which we 

 passed at 10 p. m. July 9, during a southerly gale with rain, fog, and 

 short, chopping swell, peculiar to Bering Sea. Low speed during the 

 remainder of the night brought us to St. Paul at 6.38 on the morning 

 of the 10th. A landing was effected a few hours later at Bast Anchorage, 

 and Mr. C. H. Townsend went to confer with the chief Treasury agent, 

 Mr. J. B. Crowley, regarding a photographic survey of the seal rookeries 

 on St. Paul and St. George. 



While at the Bay of Waterfalls Mr. Townsend suggested planting a 

 quantity of trout in the lakes of St. Paul Island, which heretofore have 

 been entirely without edible fish, and, with this object in view, a number 

 of fine adult specimens were taken and transported to the islands, where 

 20 were deposited in good condition in two of the most promising lakes. 



Having secured the cooperation of the chief Treasury agent and 

 procured from him necessary instructions to his subordinates on St. 

 George, we steamed over to the latter island and landed Messrs. C. H. 

 Townsend and N. B. Miller with apparatus for the prosecution of their 

 photographic work and the platting of the outlines of the fur-seal 

 rookeries in accordance with the plan previously inaugurated by Mr. 

 J. Stanley-Brown. 



While at St. Paul Island Mr. Adams, Treasury agent, visited the 

 ship and reported that a schooner had been seen off Northeast Point 

 on the 4th, sealing, and a brig had five boats out for seals on the 7th. 

 As none of the patrol fleet was at the islands at the time, we pro- 

 ceeded to the locality mentioned, and, early on the morning of the 12th, 

 boarded two whaling barks which were on a favorite cruising-ground, 

 north and east of St. Paul; one of them reported a whaling schooner 

 cruising in the vicinity, but we did not meet her. The east and north 

 shores were examined during the morning, but we saw no vessels. 



It was arranged before leaving St. George that we should return on 

 the loth to transfer Messrs. Townsend and Miller to St. Paul, hence 

 our operations in the meantime were prosecuted with this end in view. 



A line of soundings commencing north of St. Paul on the parallel of 

 57° 18' 1ST. was carried due west to the meridian of 173° 53' W., in 150 

 fathoms. Beam-trawl and hand lines were used frequently, special care 

 having been given to serial temperature observations. Depths varied 

 but little from 00 fathoms,with bottom of green mud, until, in 172° 43' W., 

 specimens of branching coral were brought up, and in 173° 18' W.,rocky 

 bottom was first struck and carried to the next station, about 5 miles. 

 The 100-fathom curve was then followed in a southerly and easterly 

 direction, with frequent sounding, dredging, and temperature stations 

 to the parallel of 56° 30' K, thence due east to the vicinity of St. George, 

 where we arrived at 8.40 a. m. July 14. 



The results of fishing trials will be found in the report of the fishery 

 expert; the contents of trawl, intermediate tow net, soundings, tempera- 

 tures, etc.. arc tabulated for the sake of brevity, and will be referred to 

 only incidentally in this report. Strict attention was given to the study 



