INVESTIGATIONS OF THE ALBATROSS. IT 



tous of coal at Sail Francisco, and sailed November 4, for tlie further 

 prosecution of the survey. Arraiigemeuts were made with the command- 

 aut of the navy-yard, Mare Island, to forward 400 pounds of wire lo 

 Honolulu as soon as practicable. Mr. C. H. Townsend, resident natu- 

 ralist, returned on board, from special duty ashore. 



The j)reliminary line passed about 40 miles north of the Belknap 

 Eise, a huge submarine mountain, 14,000 feet above the ocean bed, yet 

 no sign of it appeared either in depth, contour, or character of bottom. 

 The experience of the Albatross, following that of the Tttscarora, 

 warned us of our apx)roach to a region abounding in elevations and 

 depressions of frequent occurrence, making it advisable to examine a 

 wider area. With this object in view, and to avoid the elevation encoun- 

 tered on the preliminary trip, a parallel line was run from latitude 33° 

 T north, from C to 8 miles to the southward of it for about 200 miles. 

 The elevation was avoided, and normal conditions continued to 31° 54' 

 north, where a depression was encountered having a maximum depth 

 of 3,18G fathoms, and extending about 70 miles in a southwesterly direc- 

 tion. From 2,500 to 2,700 fathoms continued thence to 29° 11' north, 

 where another elevation occurred having a depth of 2,085 fathoms. The 

 bottom specimen at this station contained a few grains of sand, miuute 

 (juartz crystals, which were apparent only under the microscope. The 

 iiormal depth was soon reached, and for 700 miles the average was about 

 2,900 fathoms, the maximum exceeding 3,000 fathoms. The bottom 

 was, with few exceptions, composed of brown ooze, but traces of lava 

 were found at three stations and sand at two. 



In latitude 23° 14' 30" north, 200 miles from the east end of Oahu 

 Island, was found the most important elevation in the line; from a base 

 of 300 miles in diameter the depths gradually decreased from 2,839 to 

 1,256 fathoms. A^pproaching the island, a depression was crossed 00 

 miles from land, having a depth of 2,878 fathoms, nuul bottom', all traces 

 of foraminiferous ooze having disappeared at a distance of 100 miles 

 from the nearest i^oint of Oahu. 



The shore platform was reached in 570 fathoms 20 miles from land, 

 after a steep ascent from the normal ocean bed. Froni 300 to 400 ftithom s, 

 with smooth sand bottom, was carried through the Kaiwi Channel 

 between Molokai and Oahu, but from the shore line to about 200 fathoms 

 frequent coral lumps were found scattered over the sandy bottom. 



Survey about the Hawaiian Ishmds. — We reached Honolulu at 12:30 

 p. m. iSTovember 21, and moored head and stern in the usual manner. 

 The U. S. S. Fensacolav^as lying in port on our arrival. Slight repairs to 

 machinery and sounding apparatus were made and reports of progress 

 prepared. On December 1 a package of wire, 253 pounds gross weight, 

 was received by steamer from San Francisco. It was the first of the 

 new wire to reach us, and was received with no little pleasure, as it 

 insured us an ample supply for the completion of the work. The liydro- 

 griiphic oftice blanks, before referred to, forrtlottiug the data of the sur- 

 vey, were also received by the same steamer. 

 p c 92 2 



