HI -REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE UNITED STATES FISH 

 COMMISSION STEAMER LOOKOUT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DE- 

 CEMBER 31, 1884. 



By Mate James A. Smith, U. S. N., Commanding. 



On January 1, 1884, by order of the Navy Department, I was detached 

 from duty on the U. S. Fish Commissiou steamer Fish Hawk and or- 

 dered to assume the command of this vessel, the Lookout. The vessel 

 was then on the marine railway at the navy- yard, Washington, D. C, 

 undergoing extensive repairs, the superintendence of which I took in 

 charge, under instructions from time to time from Assistant Commis- 

 sioner T. B. Ferguson. On April 30 the vessel was launched, and on 

 May 17 got up steam and made a short trial trip down the river as far 

 as Fort Washington and returned to the navy-yard. Machinery worked 

 well, but found some slight alterations were required to perfect the 

 vibration of the cylinders. 



May 29, at 5.45 p. m., left navy-yard, Washington, D. C, with As- 

 sistant Commissioner T. B. Ferguson on board, bound to Saint Jerome 

 Station, Maryland,* arriving there at 12.10 p. m. of the 30th. Took on 

 board a small boiler and returned to navy yard on the 31st, arriving 

 there at 5.30 p. m. 



June 7, Assistant Commissioner T. B. Ferguson came on board. Got 

 under way from navy-yard at 5.30 p. m., and proceeded down the Po- 

 tomac River, with launch No. 68 in tow, bound to Saint Jerome Station; 

 arrived there at noon of the 8th, and delivered the launch to the super- 

 intendent of the station ; at 3 p. m. jiroceeded uj) Chesapeake Bay, bound 

 [ to Battery Station, Havre de Grace, Md., arriving there at 9.15 a. m. 

 \ of the 9th. Assistant Commissioner Ferguson left the ship. At 3.30 

 1 p. m. left Battery Station with a seine-boat in tow bound to Saint Je- 

 rome Station, arriving there at noon on the 10th ; delivered seine-boat 

 to the superintendent of the station, and at 3 p. m. left the station and 

 I proceeded up the Potomac River to navy-yard, Washington, 1). C, ar- 

 ', riving at 8.30 a. m. of the 11th, and continued the refitting. 



June 21 Assistant Commissioner T. B. Ferguson came on board; at 

 I 5.20 p. m. left navy yard and proceeded down tlit^ Potomac River, bound 

 J to Saint Jerome Station, arrivijig there next day, and returned to navy- 

 ] yard, Washington, D. C, at G p. m. of the 25th. 



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