DREDGING AND HYDROGRAPHIC RECORDS OF THE U. S, FISH- 

 ERIES STEAMER ALBATROSS DURING THE PHILIP- 

 PINE EXPEDITION, 1907-1910, 



The Philippine cruise of the Albatross covered a greater period of 

 time than any single expedition previously undertaken by that vessel. 

 The ship left San Francisco October 16, 1907, and, sailing by way of 

 the Hawaiian Islands, Midway, and Guam, arrived at Manila Novem- 

 ber 28. The stop at Midway, occasioned by a requisition of the 

 vessel to carry stores from Honolulu to the United States marines 

 stationed on Midway, was made the opportunity to take a small 

 collection of the reef fishes and shore fauna of that group of islands. 

 The number of fishes was very small, owing to the inability to carry 

 enough explosive to do effective work, only 10 pounds of dynamite 

 being allowed for use here and at Guam. Small collections were 

 similarly made at this latter place when the ship stopped there for 

 coal. 



A two months' delay in the arrival of the stores which had been 

 shipped from New York direct to Manila limited the vessel's activity 

 for that period to the immediate vicinity of Manila. Thereafter the 

 work was done by a series of short cruises made to the different parts 

 of the Archipelago with Manila as a base for supplies and the deposit 

 of collections. 



During the period between February 2 and June 9, 1908, cruises 

 were made to the southward, the first along the southwest side of 

 Mindanao, thence through the Sulu groups, extending as far as 

 Sandakan, Borneo; the second through the central group, including 

 Panay, Negros, Cebu, Leyte, Masbate, and Marinduque; the third 

 about the east and southeast coasts of Mindanao. 



After the return to Manila from the last of these cruises it had 

 become apparent that the Albatross required extensive repairs, and 

 in August the ship left for Hongkong to have these made. Upon 

 conclusion of this work in October Pratas Reef was visited and a 

 number of soundings and trawl hauls were later made in the China 

 Sea between that reef and the Batan Islands. Some work was done 

 in the Batan and Babuyan islands and on the northern end of Luzon. 

 Contemplated stops along the northwesterly coast of Luzon were 

 prevented by bad weather which culminated in a typhoon. 



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