14 KErORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Oil September 2-t I wired the liydrograplier asking the scheme of sur- 

 vey, intervals, ;uid route, and the same day received the following reply : 



Shortest pnu'ticaldc route prolmbly just north of Tii8ca)-ora's route. Intervals of 

 10 iiud 2 miles; teiiqierattires to be taken; letter explanations has been Avritten. 



Having received no deJinite instructions regarding the survey, the 

 following letter was written to the chief of the Bureau of Navigatiou 

 for the double purpose of giving the Department the benefit of such 

 local knowledge as I had on the subject, and to avoid delay. 



1 have the honor to inform you that the Albafross will b(! ready to eoiumeuce work 

 on the eable survey in a few days. It may perha])S bo advisable for mc to aequaiut 

 you of the knowledge I already possess in this lino. With referenee to a practicable 

 landing for the cable on the coast of California : A glance at Coast Survey chart 675 

 will show 100 fathoms within 1^ miles of Salinas Lauding, Monterey Bay, and over 

 50 fathoms half a mile from laud. From this point seaward extends a constantly 

 widening gully in a southwesterly direction, in which the depths increase rapidly 

 with a bottom of soft mud. I have, iu connection with our reguhir work, run aline 

 of soundings from the shore to 900 fathoms without change iu the character of the 

 bottom. There is no other place on this coast in the vicinity of San Francisco that 

 a cable could be landed Avithout i)assiug over a greater or less extent of ground where 

 vessels may anchor; neither is there any other place where so soft a bottom can be 

 found. If the slope from the 900 to the 2,000 fathom curve proves as free from 

 obstructions as I have reason to expect, IMonterey Bay will be the best possible place 

 to land the cable, as there would be less than a mile of the shore-end liable to dam- 

 age from vessels' anchors, and thence to deep water it would rest securely in a soft 

 bed of mud. Iu our operations along the California coast, we have frequently found 

 the slope from the shore platform to the ocean-bed dotted with outcroppings of 

 rock sharp enough to endanger the safety of any submarine cable. This Avas 

 noticeably so to the southward of the Faralloues, where the lead usually indicated 

 sand bottom; but in hauling the trawl, the net often came in contacfc with those 

 sharp projections. 



In commencing the survey on the California coast wo will be liable to meet with 

 delay from coast fogs, boisterous weather, etc. ; therefore, I think it will be advisa- 

 ble to complete that portion of the line, watching for a favorable opportunity if 

 necessary, carrying it as far offshore as convenient, then return to San Francisco and 

 till up with coal. We can then take up the line and carry it to the islands if we 

 meet with no expected delays; I count on the usual gales incident to the season. 



The route I recommend, providing it starts from Monterey Bay, is practically a 

 great circle to the east end of Oahu, passing about 40 miles to the northward of the 

 Tuscarora's submarine mountain, and between the soundings of 2792 and 2711 shown 

 on H. O. chart 527. 



I suppose you will send us large scale projections on which to plot our soundings. 

 It will be a great convenience, particularly if we find it necessary to run traverses 

 in searching for a practicable route. We have received no instructions yet, but 

 suppose they are en route. A telegram from the acting hydrographcr gave us some 

 information as to intervals of soundings. Wo have everything necessary for the 

 commencement of the work within reach and expect to leave San Francisco to locate 

 the shore-end on the 5th or 6th of October. If anything is lacking at that time we 

 can pick it up on our return for coal. 



