38 HALIBUT PISHING GROUNDS OP THE PACIFIC COAST. 



hour and 45 minutes resulted in the capture of 5 halibut averaging 

 30 pounds, excellent in quality and uniform in size. One halibut was 

 caught on a hand-line from the ship. The stomach of one contained 

 the head of a partly-digested turbot ; the other stomachs were empty. 



Among fishermen the uniform size of halibut taken is regarded as 

 favorable indication that a large body of fish is near. The fishermen 

 on board were of this opinion, and the ground in this locality affords 

 a good opportunity to put their theory to a test. 



Early in the morning of August 8 the Albatross steamed offshore 

 2 miles, making frequent soundings and getting hard bottom. At 

 8.20 a. m. the anchor was dropped in 10 fathoms of water on the 

 southern edge of a shoal spot 5^^ miles SE. by E. | E. from Point 

 Manby. The shoal is 2>\ miles long by -| mile wide, extending east and 

 west. Situated between this shoal and Ocean Cape, which marks the 

 southern entrance to Yakutat Bay, are several other shoals on which 

 the water is less than 8 fathoms deep, the general character of the 

 bottom being small rocks and pebbles. 



A short trial on this spot of ground, near where the ship was 

 anchored, resulted in 3 halibut, which averaged 67 pounds, and 4 

 dogfish. The largest halibut weighed 100 pounds. In the wake of 

 the dory setting the trawl, salmon were jumping. Presumably, had 

 the trawl remained set several hours on this ground, a much greater 

 number of halibut would have been taken. When fishermen first be- 

 gan to search for halibut banks off Cape Scott, in Hecate Strait, 

 Dixon Entrance, and other localities, it frequently happened that 

 only a few halibut were captured in the first few trials on ground 

 which subsequently proved to be very prolific. 



Malaspina Glacier. — From this anchorage the ship steamed 8| 

 miles in an easterly direction along the front of Malaspina Glacier, 

 and at 11.03 a. m., on account of a dense fog, anchored IJ miles 

 from the shore in 14 fathoms of water, just outside of the 10- fathom 

 curve, sandy bottom. While waiting for the fog to clear a halibut 

 trawl was baited and set near the ship, capturing 1 dogfish and 1 

 sculpin. The fog clearing revealed that we were anchored close to 

 a glacial stream flowing through the moraine carrying a considerable 

 quantity of mud, which discolored the water and was no doubt the 

 cause of the scarcity of fish in this locality. There being no place 

 of prominence along the front of the glacier by which to locate our 

 position, bearings were taken on Ocean Cape, which bore E. ^ N., 10 

 miles distant. In the afternoon the Albatross anchored off Yakutat 

 village. 



Disenchantment Bay. — The following morning, August 9, we 

 steamed into Disenchantment Bay at slow speed. At the time there 

 was considerable floating ice, which, combined with fog, made it 



