﻿KEPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  101 
  

  

  areas 
  where 
  tliey 
  might 
  be 
  fished 
  for 
  profitably 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  banks 
  in 
  

   the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Kadiak, 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  information 
  regarding 
  the 
  southern 
  

   grounds 
  having 
  been 
  obtained 
  from 
  the 
  fishing 
  vessels 
  which 
  occasion- 
  

   ally 
  visit 
  that 
  region. 
  A 
  considerable 
  quantity 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  has 
  been 
  

   marketed 
  during 
  the 
  past 
  few 
  years 
  through 
  ports 
  on 
  Puget 
  Sound, 
  the 
  

   most 
  of 
  these 
  fish 
  having 
  been 
  caught 
  in 
  Hecate 
  Strait, 
  off 
  the 
  north 
  

   ends 
  of 
  Graham 
  and 
  Vancouver 
  islands, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  th(; 
  Strait 
  

   of 
  Fuca. 
  Although 
  very 
  little 
  hydrographic 
  work 
  has 
  been 
  done 
  along 
  

   the 
  outer 
  coast 
  of 
  southeastern 
  Alaska, 
  the 
  indications 
  are 
  that 
  the 
  

   shore 
  platform 
  is 
  there 
  relatively 
  narrow, 
  thus 
  precluding 
  the 
  existence 
  

   of 
  such 
  extensive 
  fishing-banks 
  as 
  occur 
  farther 
  north. 
  It 
  is 
  probable, 
  

   however, 
  that 
  good 
  halibut 
  grounds 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  along 
  the 
  outer 
  coast 
  

   as 
  well 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  channels 
  among 
  the 
  islands, 
  where 
  sotne 
  fishing 
  on 
  a 
  

   small 
  scale 
  has 
  been 
  carried 
  on 
  for 
  some 
  time. 
  The 
  development 
  of 
  

   the 
  continental 
  slope 
  was 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  important 
  features 
  of 
  the 
  season's 
  

   work 
  as 
  laid 
  out. 
  

  

  The 
  salmon 
  investigations 
  contemplated 
  determining 
  primarily 
  the 
  

   relations 
  of 
  the 
  several 
  species 
  of 
  that 
  important 
  group 
  to 
  the 
  different 
  

   rivers, 
  inlets, 
  and 
  other 
  channels 
  which 
  they 
  enter 
  in 
  sufficient 
  num- 
  

   bers 
  to 
  afford 
  the 
  means 
  for 
  commercial 
  fishing. 
  The 
  physical 
  ijKjuiries 
  

   were 
  to 
  relate 
  to 
  the 
  characteristics 
  of 
  each 
  waterway, 
  with 
  the 
  special 
  

   object 
  of 
  supplying 
  data 
  which 
  might 
  be 
  useful 
  in 
  determining 
  the 
  

   character 
  of 
  fishing 
  methods 
  proper 
  to 
  be 
  allowed 
  in 
  each 
  locality, 
  and 
  

   the 
  restrictions 
  necessary 
  to 
  insure 
  the 
  perpetuation 
  of 
  the 
  salmon 
  

   runs. 
  Tins 
  information 
  is 
  urgently 
  demanded 
  in 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  rapid 
  

   development 
  of 
  the 
  salmon 
  canning 
  business 
  in 
  Alaska, 
  and 
  the 
  immi 
  

   nent 
  danger 
  of 
  this 
  important 
  industry 
  receiving 
  permanent 
  injury 
  

   should 
  the 
  present 
  j)ractices 
  continue 
  unrestrained. 
  

  

  Circumstances, 
  however, 
  necessitated 
  an 
  entire 
  change 
  in 
  the 
  sum- 
  

   mer 
  plans, 
  and 
  the 
  postponement 
  until 
  another 
  year 
  of 
  the 
  investiga- 
  

   tions 
  above 
  detailed. 
  The 
  Albatross 
  left 
  San 
  Francisco 
  on 
  June 
  5, 
  and 
  

   proceeded 
  to 
  Seattle, 
  Wash., 
  where 
  arrangements 
  were 
  completed 
  for 
  

   the 
  northern 
  work 
  in 
  conformity 
  with 
  an 
  act 
  of 
  Congress, 
  providing 
  

   for 
  extensive 
  inquiries 
  by 
  a 
  scientific 
  party 
  relative 
  to 
  the 
  fur-seal 
  in 
  

   Bering 
  Sea 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  Asiatic 
  coast, 
  as 
  elsewhere 
  explained. 
  

  

  Departure 
  was 
  taken 
  from 
  Seattle 
  on 
  June 
  24, 
  the 
  ship 
  proceeding 
  

   byway 
  of 
  the 
  passage 
  inside 
  of 
  Vancouver 
  Island, 
  and 
  on 
  June 
  .'iO, 
  the 
  

   close 
  of 
  the 
  fiscal 
  year, 
  being 
  in 
  the 
  North 
  Pa(;ific 
  ()(;ean, 
  en 
  route 
  to 
  

   Unalaska. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  year 
  the 
  Albatross 
  was 
  at 
  sea 
  124 
  days, 
  and 
  steamed 
  

   11,702 
  miles. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  sounding 
  stations 
  made 
  was 
  130, 
  and 
  of 
  

   dredging 
  stations, 
  33. 
  A 
  daily 
  record 
  was 
  also 
  kept 
  of 
  meteorological 
  

   and 
  of 
  water 
  temperature 
  and 
  density 
  observations, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  of 
  all 
  

   other 
  important 
  data 
  collected 
  in 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  cruising. 
  

  

  