202 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



the night off the north shore of the island in 9 fathoms. We were 

 under way at 2.45 a. m. next morning, and commenced the development 

 of line v, which was completed on the 6th, in latitude 50° 54' N., longi- 

 tude 174° 17' W. A marked feature of this line was the uniformity in 

 depth of water, 10 fathoms being the maximum variation, while for over 

 100 miles it did not exceed 2 fathoms. 



We reached line vi at 5 a. in. August 7, in 58° 10' N. and 176° 40' W., 

 the depth having increased from 71 to 1,744 fathoms in 35 miles. No 

 attempt was made at dredging or trawling in such great depths, from 

 a lack of time, investigations being confined to sounding, temperatures, 

 and seal observations until we were within the 100-fathom curve. An 

 increasing breeze from the northward and westward gave us a leading 

 wind, with which excellent time was made between stations, but a heavy 

 sea interrupted our work to some extent. The line was completed about 

 noon August 8, and we came to an hour later at East Anchorage, St. 

 Paul, to communicate with Mr. Townsend and insure his transportation 

 to St. George at the proper time for a second series of rookery views at 

 that place. 



This matter having been satisfactorily arranged, we left the island at 

 1.15 a. m. August 9, and commenced the development of line xiii, 

 which ran in an easterly direction. Fog prevailed during the morning, 

 but commenced breaking away at 8 a. m., and it finally proved one of 

 the most pleasant days of the season. The line was developed rapidly 

 under favorable conditions of weather, and the last station, which lies 

 in latitude 50° 10' N., longitude 103° 25' W., near the northern limits of 

 Slime Bank, was occupied at 9.40 a. m. August 10. The snow-covered 

 peaks of Pavlof and Shishaldin were seen at daylight, and a little later 

 Agliileeu Pinnacles and Amak Island came into view, the weather still 

 remaining remarkably clear. 



As soon as the line was completed we started for Unalaska for coal, 

 but early in the afternoon the wind increased rapidly from the south- 

 west, and the evidences of approaching bad weather were so apparent 

 that we ran into Shaw Bay and passed a quiet night, although it was 

 blowing a strong gale at midnight, with furious squalls. This bay is 

 easy of approach, has no outlying dangers, water shoals gradually from 

 20 fathoms, and it affords good protection with winds from southwest 

 to southeast. It was still blowing a fresh gale at 5.20 next morning 

 when we got under way, but by hugging the land we kept in compara- 

 tively smooth water until we reached the vicinity of the Northwest 

 Gape of ITuimak, when the wind died out and fog set in which lasted with 

 occasional intervals until our arrival at Dutch Harbor at 5.35 p. m. 



We commenced coaling at 10 a. m. August 14, and finished at 11.12 

 a. m. on the 16th. Ten minutes later we cast off from the wharf, hoisted 

 boats, and proceeded to sea, anxious, if possible, to make up for a 

 part at least of our unexpected detention in port. It was our intention 

 to resume work at the southern extremity of radial line xi, near Cher- 

 nofski; and, starting out with light winds and pleasant weather, we 



