26 HALIBUT FISHING GROUNDS OP THE PACIFIC COAST. 



From this position the ship steamed 29 miles in a N. 4^ E. direc- 

 tion, and at 10.15 a. m. arrived at latitude 56° 36' N., longitude 

 152° 56' W. ; depth, 44 fathoms; character of the bottom, sand and 

 gravel. A trial lasting 1 hour and 20 minutes with one skate of 

 trawl resulted in 4 halibut, 28 cod, 1 skate, and 1 sculpin. The 

 halibut were small, averaging 54 pounds. 



In latitude 57° 00 N., longitude 152° 21' W., 2 halibut, 17 cod, and 

 2 skates were taken on a trawl which remained set 1 hour and 30 

 minutes; depth, 45 fathoms; bottom, rocky. The cod Avere of me- 

 dium size ; the halibut averaged 15 pounds, one individual weighing 

 22 and the other 8 pounds. This position was 32 miles from the 

 previous trial and the last one made for the day. 



Portlock Bank. — This bank is a continuation of Albatross Bank. 

 Its western boundary begins at about 152° Avest longitude and in the 

 latitude of Ugak Bay, extending in a northerly and easterly direc- 

 tion a distance of about 120 miles and covers an area of nearly 7,000 

 square miles, all of which is within the 100-fathom mark. Were 

 that portion of the bank included on which 175 fathoms or less are 

 found, its size would be increased to about 8,500 square miles. 



On July 14 work began at 5 a. m. Sounded in 42 fathoms; 

 character of the bottom, shells and small rocks. This position was 

 44 miles in a N. by E. \ E. direction from the previous station occu- 

 pied. It is quite evident that cod were much more plentiful here 

 than halibut, 19 of the one and only 2 of the other being taken. 



Thus far cod have predominated in the various trials made on this 

 bank. That halibut may be found at times in commercial quantities 

 on that part visited by the Albatross is very probable, but it is 

 thought that cod will be found on all parts in greater numbers. 



In a trial 17 miles from the last station, latitude 57° 46' N., longi- 

 tude 151° 27' W., 3 halibut and 13 cod were caught in 34 fathoms, 

 rocla'^ bottom. The fishermen reported that one end of the trawl 

 was in nearly 100 fathoms of water. Several hydroids were brought 

 up on the trawl. In the evening the Albatross anchored off Kodiak 

 Harbor. 



The trials made on Albatross Bank do not bear evidence that hali- 

 but in large numbers may be looked for at this season. A few trials 

 on a bank at a certain season is hardly a fair test of the ground; at 

 an earlier or later date results might be satisfactory. Therefore it 

 is recommended that should halibut fishermen visit this ground they 

 give it more attention than the time at our command would permit. 



Kodiak. — The Alaska Commercial Co. having abandoned most of 

 the stations in Alaska, which at one time gave employment to a large 

 number of natives, several former employees are contemplating estab- 

 lishing a cod-fishing station at Kodiak. It is understood that several 



