﻿4.-PvEP0RT 
  OF 
  A 
  SURVEY 
  OF 
  THE 
  OYSTER 
  REGIONS 
  OF 
  ST. 
  

   VINCENT 
  SOUND, 
  APALACHICOLA 
  BAY, 
  AND 
  ST. 
  GEORGE 
  

   SOUND, 
  FLORIDA, 
  

  

  By 
  Lieut. 
  Franklin 
  Swift, 
  U. 
  S. 
  Navy. 
  

  

  INTRODUCTION. 
  

  

  Having 
  completed 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  supplyiiift- 
  the 
  aquarium 
  of 
  the 
  TT. 
  S. 
  

   Fish 
  Commission 
  exliibit 
  at 
  Atlanta, 
  Ga., 
  with 
  specimens 
  of 
  the 
  (Julf 
  

   fishes, 
  I 
  received 
  instructions, 
  dated 
  September 
  30, 
  189d, 
  from 
  the 
  

   United 
  States 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  Fish 
  and 
  Fisheries, 
  to 
  proceed 
  to 
  

   Apalachicola 
  Bay, 
  Florida, 
  with 
  the 
  steamer 
  Fish 
  Haiclc 
  and 
  the 
  party 
  

   under 
  my 
  command, 
  and 
  begin 
  an 
  oyster 
  survey 
  of 
  the 
  adjacent 
  waters, 
  

   the 
  waters 
  to 
  be 
  covered 
  being 
  St. 
  Yiucent 
  Sound, 
  Apalachicola 
  Bay, 
  

   and 
  St. 
  George 
  Sound. 
  

  

  The 
  object 
  of 
  the 
  survey 
  was 
  to 
  determine: 
  

  

  (1) 
  The 
  positions, 
  outlines, 
  characteristics, 
  and 
  richness 
  or 
  produc- 
  

   tiveness 
  of 
  all 
  oyster 
  beds 
  located 
  in 
  the 
  waters 
  named. 
  

  

  (2) 
  The 
  positions, 
  outlines, 
  and 
  characteristics 
  of 
  all 
  areas 
  of 
  the 
  

   bottom 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  waters, 
  suitable 
  for 
  the 
  planting 
  of 
  oysters, 
  either 
  

   in 
  their 
  natural 
  condition 
  or 
  after 
  preparation. 
  

  

  Projections 
  were 
  furnished 
  in 
  three 
  sheets 
  covering 
  the 
  areas 
  to 
  be 
  

   surveyed. 
  These 
  projections 
  were 
  made 
  from 
  data 
  obtained 
  from 
  the 
  

   United 
  States 
  Coast 
  and 
  Geodetic 
  Survey 
  Office, 
  and 
  are 
  on 
  ., 
  ^ 
  scale, 
  

   giving 
  the 
  location 
  of 
  the 
  triangulation 
  points 
  and 
  showing 
  the 
  shore 
  line 
  

   from 
  the 
  original 
  survey. 
  A 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  triangulation 
  points 
  was 
  

   also 
  furnished. 
  The 
  work 
  to 
  be 
  undertaken 
  called 
  for 
  all 
  that 
  is 
  required 
  

   of 
  a 
  hydrographic 
  party 
  in 
  the 
  Coast 
  Survey, 
  besides 
  all 
  the 
  work 
  that 
  

   is 
  peculiar 
  to 
  an 
  oyster 
  survey. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  former 
  surveys 
  in 
  which 
  this 
  vessel 
  has 
  been 
  engaged 
  a 
  large 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  work 
  was 
  carried 
  on 
  by 
  civilian 
  assistants 
  sent 
  especially 
  

   by 
  the 
  Fish 
  Commission, 
  but 
  no 
  such 
  assistance 
  Avas 
  available 
  in 
  this 
  

   case, 
  and 
  the 
  survey 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  made 
  entirely 
  by 
  the 
  officers 
  and 
  crew 
  

   of 
  the 
  vessel. 
  On 
  the 
  Coast 
  Survey 
  vessels 
  there 
  are 
  usually 
  several 
  

   commissioned 
  officers, 
  who, 
  together 
  with 
  the 
  crew, 
  are 
  trained 
  iu 
  hydro- 
  

   graphic 
  surveying; 
  at 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  our 
  work 
  there 
  was 
  only 
  one 
  

   officer 
  besides 
  myself, 
  JNIate 
  J. 
  A. 
  Smith, 
  C^. 
  S. 
  N., 
  who 
  had 
  had 
  any 
  

   experience 
  in 
  hydrography. 
  Much 
  credit 
  is 
  due 
  Mr. 
  Smith 
  for 
  the 
  

   ability 
  he 
  displayed 
  in 
  running 
  the 
  lines 
  of 
  soundings 
  and 
  in 
  all 
  other 
  

  

  work 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  survey. 
  

  

  187 
  

  

  