[71] WORK OF STEAMER ALBATROSS 73 



Polaris and Altair placed tbe ship at No. 403. The course was ouce 

 more shaped for the vigia ; a latitude by Polaris, plotted just before 

 reachiug it, and an altitude of the sun while reeling in, placed the ves- 

 sel at No. 404. The current was here found running to the NW. by W. 

 about li knots. 



Example III. — On August 22, while sounding at Station No. 550, an 

 altitude of the sun was observed; from there 2 miles were made on a 

 SSW. course to No. 2213, where the sun was again observed while 

 sounding; from here about two miles were made trawling towards SW. to 

 No. 2214, and the sun again observed. In ail these posfcions the sights 

 were worked out for latitudes 39° 50' and 40°, giving the lines shown. 

 At half a mile southward of 2214 a meridian altitude of the sun gave 

 the latitude 39° 50' '3~y'. By ])lotting between all these lines a westerly 

 set was detected, and the positions were fixed as in Plate III. From 

 No. 2214 made about 8 miles in a southerly course to No. 2215, when 

 the sun was again observetl; then made about 2J miles (trawling) to 

 SSE., when another sounding was taken (No. 2210), and the sun again 

 observed. Finally, after trawling about 2 miles to B. by S. from No. 

 2210, a meridian altitude of a Ophiuchi placed the ship in latitude 39° 

 40' 50". By working out the p. m. sights for latitudes 39° 40' and 39° 

 50' and plotting forward from the noon position, the westerly current 

 was found to have stopped, and the positions were fixed as shown. In 

 this case the depth was not sufficient to admit of any current being 

 detected while sounding, but in the morning the vessel was drifted over 

 the dredge-rope somewhat. 



EEPORT OF PASSED ASSISTANT ENGINEER G. W. BAIRD, 



U. S. N. 



MAIN ENGINES. 



During the year the engines have been in operation 1,052 hours while 

 the ship was on her course in free route, besides the time occupied in 

 sounding and dredging at sea, when the engines were worked to sig- 

 nals. The ship has steamed on her course in all weathers 13,388 miles, 

 an average of 7.93 per hour, during which time the port engine made 

 0,333,770 and the starboard engine 0,310,140 revolutions, a mean of 03.8 

 per minute. It has been the custom to aim at economical rather than 

 quick voyages, and the engines have been seldom run wide open, even 

 with the n-duced pressuie of 50 pounds, which we are now carrying. 

 The maximum speed recorded during the year is H)l knots, while the 

 highest average for ten hours is 10.44 knots ])er hour. 



BOILERS. 



During the year repairs have been made to the boilers whenever fires 

 were permitted to be hauled. The crown sheets, which are of " mild 



