﻿98 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  tlie 
  soundings 
  soutlieastward 
  at 
  10-mile 
  intervals 
  for 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  40 
  

   miles, 
  the 
  extent 
  and 
  nature 
  of 
  tlie 
  eastern 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  platfonn 
  was 
  

   determined 
  at 
  a 
  mean 
  depth 
  of 
  556 
  fathoms, 
  the 
  bottom 
  being 
  com- 
  

   posed 
  of 
  brown 
  ooze, 
  sand, 
  and 
  gravel. 
  A 
  rise 
  of 
  temx)erature 
  here 
  of 
  

   3°, 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  the 
  Kamchatka 
  basin 
  north 
  of 
  Bering 
  Island, 
  

   indicated 
  that 
  a 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  Japan 
  Stream 
  Hows 
  around 
  the 
  Oliutorsk 
  

   platform. 
  Proceeding 
  70 
  miles 
  farther 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  direction 
  the 
  ship 
  

   was 
  carried 
  oft' 
  the 
  platform, 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  which 
  descends 
  with 
  a 
  

   gentle 
  slope, 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  1,898 
  fathoms 
  having 
  been 
  reached 
  IIJ 
  miles 
  

   S. 
  40° 
  E., 
  true, 
  from 
  Cape 
  Oliutorsk. 
  The 
  above 
  line 
  of 
  soundings 
  took 
  

   the 
  Albatross 
  into 
  localities 
  where 
  depths 
  of 
  less 
  than 
  50 
  fathoms 
  are 
  

   recorded 
  on 
  the 
  charts 
  of 
  Bering 
  Sea. 
  The 
  original 
  soundings 
  were 
  

   evidently 
  made 
  along 
  lines 
  running 
  southward 
  from 
  the 
  above-named 
  

   cape, 
  aud 
  the 
  observations 
  of 
  the 
  Albatross 
  tend 
  to 
  confirm 
  the 
  report 
  

   that 
  this 
  coast 
  line 
  is 
  now 
  charted 
  15 
  miles 
  too 
  far 
  to 
  the 
  eastward, 
  as 
  

   noted 
  on 
  sheet 
  in 
  of 
  Ilydrographic 
  Oftice 
  chart 
  No. 
  528, 
  North 
  Pacific 
  

   Ocean. 
  

  

  Again 
  entering 
  the 
  deep 
  basin, 
  a 
  second 
  line 
  of 
  soundings 
  was 
  run 
  

   across 
  it, 
  S. 
  TG*^ 
  E., 
  true, 
  from 
  latitude 
  58o 
  ;;7' 
  N., 
  longitude 
  172° 
  54' 
  E., 
  

   to 
  a 
  point 
  145 
  miles 
  from 
  St. 
  Paul 
  Island, 
  in 
  latitude 
  5(P 
  55' 
  N., 
  longi- 
  

   tude 
  174° 
  48' 
  W., 
  the 
  greatest 
  depth 
  encountered 
  being 
  2,084 
  fathoms, 
  

   and 
  a 
  slight 
  rise 
  occurring 
  at 
  the 
  eastern 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  line. 
  The 
  charac- 
  

   teristic 
  features 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  were 
  blue, 
  brown, 
  and 
  green 
  ooze 
  and 
  

   mud. 
  The 
  two 
  lines 
  made 
  this 
  senson 
  indicate 
  a 
  comparatively 
  level 
  

   floor, 
  with 
  no 
  traces 
  of 
  the 
  remarkable 
  rise 
  of 
  1,481 
  fathoms 
  discovered 
  

   the 
  previous 
  year 
  G5 
  miles 
  farther 
  north. 
  

  

  St. 
  Paul 
  Island 
  was 
  reached 
  on 
  July 
  9, 
  and 
  Mr. 
  Town 
  send 
  was 
  there 
  

   landed 
  with 
  the 
  necessary 
  outfit 
  for 
  delineating 
  and 
  photographing 
  the 
  

   rookeries. 
  The 
  Albatross 
  then 
  proceeded 
  to 
  Unalaska 
  for 
  coal 
  and 
  

   returned 
  to 
  the 
  Pribilofs 
  on 
  the 
  IGtli, 
  spending 
  the 
  remainder 
  of 
  the 
  

   month 
  in 
  that 
  locality, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  render 
  assistance 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  

   the 
  shore 
  work, 
  in 
  which 
  tlie 
  commanding 
  officer 
  also 
  participated, 
  

   with 
  the 
  assistance 
  of 
  Ensign 
  W. 
  G. 
  Miller 
  of 
  his 
  stafi". 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  B. 
  

   Alexander 
  vv^as 
  left 
  at 
  Unalaska, 
  where 
  he 
  secured 
  accommodations 
  on 
  

   board 
  the 
  Canadian 
  sealing 
  schooner 
  Dora 
  Sieicerd, 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  

   making 
  observations 
  on 
  the 
  hunting-grounds 
  during 
  the 
  open 
  season 
  

   beginning 
  August 
  1. 
  

  

  On 
  August 
  4 
  the 
  Albatross 
  began 
  the 
  investigation 
  of 
  the 
  habits 
  and 
  

   distribution 
  of 
  the 
  seals 
  during 
  their 
  pelagic 
  movements 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  

   food, 
  giving 
  most 
  attention 
  to 
  the 
  waters 
  outside 
  of 
  the 
  protected 
  zone, 
  

   east 
  of 
  the 
  one 
  hundred 
  and 
  eightieth 
  meridian 
  and 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  fifty- 
  

   fourth 
  parallel. 
  In 
  connection 
  with 
  this 
  work 
  the 
  sealing 
  belt 
  of 
  the 
  

   season 
  was 
  developed, 
  soundings 
  were 
  made, 
  the 
  beam 
  trawl 
  and 
  tow- 
  

   ing 
  nets 
  were 
  frequently 
  employed, 
  and 
  observations 
  were 
  taken 
  at 
  all 
  

   stations 
  respecting 
  the 
  temperature 
  and 
  density 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  A 
  large 
  

   I)artof 
  the 
  region 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  seals 
  resort 
  from 
  their 
  breeding-grounds 
  

   on 
  the 
  islands 
  at 
  this 
  time 
  of 
  year 
  was 
  visited, 
  and 
  much 
  progress 
  was 
  

  

  