EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XXI 



On the 9tli of July the vessel proceeded from Washington to Wood's 

 Holl with freight for that station, and thereafter, during the remainder 

 of July and August, made dredging trips from Wood's Holl. Aid was 

 also rendered to the oflQcers and crew of the U. S. S. Tallapoosa, which 

 sunk in Vineyard Sound August 22. On the 14th of October the Fish 

 Hawk was loaded with freight to be returned to Washington. On the 

 way some lobsters were obtained in New York for transfer to the mouth 

 of the Chesapeake. Sixty- three of these were deposited off Back River 

 light on October 19, an account of which transaction will be found in the 

 Fish Commission Bulletin for 1885, page 31. The vessel reached Wash- 

 hington on October 20. During the greater part of November the Fish 

 Hawk was engaged in investigating the oyster-beds of Chesapeake Bay, 

 under the direction of Mr. T. B. Ferguson. On December 31, 1884, 

 Lieutenant Wood was relieved from duty in the Fish Commission, and 

 the command of the vessel, then at the navy-yard in Washington, was 

 transferred to ensign L. W. Piepmeyer, U. S. Navy. 



C— The Steamkr Lookout. 



On the 1st of January, 1884, Mate James A. Smith, U. S. Navy, was 

 detached from duty with the U. S. Fish Commission steamer Fish Hawk, 

 and ordered to the command of the Lookout. Mr. Smith at once took 

 charge of the repairs and alterations which had been commenced in the 

 fall for the purpose of better adapting the vessel for the special work 

 of propagation and investigation, to which she would be assigned. 



The steamer left the ways on April 30, and on May 17 a short trial 

 trip was made down the river as far as Fort Washington. During the 

 latter part of May and throughout the month of June the steamer was 

 run between Washington, Saint Jerome, and Battery Stations, trans- 

 ferring launches, seine-boats, and other freight, from station to station, 

 as needed. On June 27 the Lookout was ordered to Saint Jerome Sta- 

 tion for the purpose of prosecuting certain work in conjunction with 

 the steamer Fish Hawk, which was then on the ground. 



In order to complete the tests of the different forms of propellers, for 

 which the vessel had been placed at the disposal of the Bureau of 

 Steam Engineering, a second board of engineers was appointed by the 

 chief of the Bureau, and on July 3 additional experiments were made, 

 the steamer making three round trips between Giesboro' Point and 

 Marshall Hall. These trials were supplemented on August 5 by fur- 

 ther tests with a still different form of propeller, which had been placed 

 on the vessel in the mean time. A very complete and interesting report 

 of the results of the various experiments has been published by the 

 Bureau of Steam Engineering. 



From the 10th to the 30th of July the Lookout was employed in the 

 neighborhood of Crisfield, Cherrystone, and Hampton Roads in procur- 

 ing information as to the catch of Spanish mackerel, &c., and in con- 

 ducting experiments as to their artificial i)ropagation. 



