﻿-RECORDS 
  OF 
  OBSERVATIONS 
  MADE 
  ON 
  BOARD 
  THE 
  UNITED 
  

   STATES 
  FISH 
  COMMISSION 
  STEAMER 
  ALBATROSS 
  DURING 
  

   THE 
  YEAR 
  ENDING 
  JUNE 
  30, 
  1896. 
  

  

  The 
  operations 
  of 
  the 
  steamer 
  AJhatroftff 
  from 
  July 
  1, 
  1895, 
  to 
  June 
  30, 
  

   1890, 
  have 
  already 
  been 
  discussed 
  in 
  the 
  report 
  of 
  the 
  Commissioner. 
  

   At 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  the 
  vessel 
  was 
  engaged 
  in 
  running 
  a 
  line 
  of 
  

   soundings 
  across 
  Bering 
  Sea 
  in 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  Commander 
  Islands, 
  

   Siberia, 
  where 
  she 
  arrived 
  on 
  July 
  3. 
  After 
  a 
  stop 
  of 
  three 
  days 
  at 
  

   Nikolski 
  Harbor, 
  she 
  started 
  on 
  the 
  return 
  trip 
  to 
  the 
  Pribilof 
  Islands, 
  

   first 
  making 
  a 
  slight 
  detour 
  toward 
  the 
  uorlh 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  determine 
  

   the 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  outer 
  slope 
  of 
  the 
  shore 
  platibrm 
  oft" 
  Cape 
  Oliutorsk, 
  

   which 
  appears 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  incorrectly 
  located 
  on 
  the 
  published 
  charts. 
  

   St. 
  Paul 
  Island 
  was 
  reached 
  on 
  July 
  9, 
  and 
  during 
  the 
  balance 
  of 
  the 
  

   month, 
  except 
  while 
  coaling 
  at 
  Unalaska, 
  the 
  vessel 
  was 
  occupied 
  

   in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  investigations 
  of 
  the 
  fur-seal 
  rookeries 
  on 
  the 
  

   Pribilofs. 
  The 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  August 
  was 
  spent 
  in 
  the 
  pelagic 
  sealing 
  

   belt 
  outside 
  of 
  the 
  protected 
  zone, 
  making 
  inquiries 
  into 
  the 
  move- 
  

   ments 
  and 
  distribution 
  of 
  the 
  seals, 
  while 
  sounding, 
  dredging, 
  and 
  

   physical 
  observations 
  were 
  also 
  extensively 
  carried 
  on. 
  

  

  Leaving 
  LTnalaska 
  on 
  August 
  30, 
  the 
  Albatross 
  entered 
  the 
  Pacific 
  

   Ocean, 
  and 
  proceeded 
  to 
  New 
  Whatcom, 
  Wash., 
  where 
  she 
  arrived 
  on 
  

   September 
  18. 
  Fishery 
  investigations 
  with 
  special 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  

   salmon 
  were 
  then 
  taken 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  Puget 
  Sound 
  region 
  and 
  were 
  con- 
  

   tinued 
  until 
  October 
  10, 
  when 
  the 
  Albatross 
  left 
  for 
  the 
  south, 
  reaching 
  

   San 
  Francisco 
  on 
  the 
  20th, 
  and 
  the 
  Mare 
  Island 
  navy-yard 
  on 
  the 
  24th. 
  

   General 
  repairs 
  and 
  refitting 
  detained 
  the 
  vessel 
  at 
  the 
  latter 
  place 
  

   until 
  near 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  January, 
  1890, 
  after 
  which, 
  until 
  April 
  12, 
  she 
  

   Avas 
  stationed 
  at 
  San 
  Diego, 
  Cal., 
  advantage 
  being 
  taken 
  of 
  tbis 
  oi)por- 
  

   tunity 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  physical 
  and 
  natural-history 
  examination 
  of 
  San 
  

   Diego 
  Bay. 
  On 
  the 
  return 
  trip 
  to 
  San 
  Francisco, 
  Cortez 
  and 
  Tanner 
  

   Banks 
  were 
  visited, 
  but 
  stormy 
  weather 
  prevented 
  extensive 
  o[)era- 
  

   tions 
  in 
  their 
  vicinity, 
  and 
  stops 
  were 
  made 
  at 
  Santa 
  Barbara 
  and 
  San 
  

   Pedro. 
  

  

  Frf)m 
  May 
  7 
  to 
  18 
  the 
  Albatross 
  was 
  used 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  

   ofiicial 
  speed 
  trial 
  of 
  tlie 
  battleship 
  Oregon. 
  On 
  June 
  ;"> 
  she 
  left 
  San 
  

   Francisco 
  and 
  proceeded 
  to 
  Seattle, 
  wliere 
  arrangements 
  were 
  com- 
  

   l)l('ted 
  for 
  a 
  northern 
  cruise 
  during 
  tlie 
  summer 
  of 
  18!>0, 
  in 
  conformity 
  

   with 
  an 
  act 
  of 
  Congress 
  providing 
  for 
  extensive 
  scientific 
  inquiries 
  

   respecting 
  the 
  fur-seal. 
  Departure 
  was 
  taken 
  from 
  that 
  place 
  on 
  June 
  

   24, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  fiscal 
  year 
  the 
  vessel 
  was 
  in 
  the 
  North 
  Pacific 
  

   Ocean, 
  on 
  tlie 
  way 
  to 
  Unalaska. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  tables 
  constitute 
  the 
  official 
  records 
  of 
  the 
  sounding, 
  

   dredging, 
  and 
  tow-net 
  stations, 
  and 
  of 
  physical 
  and 
  miscellaneous 
  

   observations 
  made 
  during 
  the 
  several 
  cruises 
  of 
  tbis 
  year. 
  They 
  cor- 
  

   respond 
  in 
  character 
  and 
  detail 
  with 
  tliose 
  whicli 
  have 
  accompanied 
  all 
  

   former 
  annual 
  rejiorts 
  upon 
  the 
  operations 
  of 
  this 
  vessel. 
  

  

  357 
  

  

  