﻿[5] 
  WORK 
  OF 
  STEAMER 
  ALBATROSS. 
  7 
  

  

  trawl. 
  The 
  result 
  of 
  the 
  33 
  hauls 
  was 
  379 
  sea-lilies 
  in 
  good 
  condition, 
  

   besides 
  other 
  specimens 
  too 
  numerous 
  to 
  mention. 
  

  

  At 
  5.20 
  p. 
  m. 
  we 
  started 
  ahead 
  for 
  the 
  island 
  of 
  Cozumel, 
  off 
  the 
  east 
  

   coast 
  of 
  Yucatan. 
  The 
  engines 
  were 
  slowed 
  for 
  half 
  an 
  hour 
  soon 
  after 
  

   dark 
  for 
  surface 
  towing, 
  but 
  to 
  our 
  surprise 
  very 
  little 
  life 
  was 
  found. 
  

  

  At 
  9.02 
  a. 
  m., 
  January 
  21, 
  we 
  cast 
  the 
  trawl 
  in 
  426 
  fathoms, 
  white 
  

   coral 
  sand, 
  latitude 
  22° 
  41' 
  K, 
  longitude 
  84° 
  16' 
  30" 
  W., 
  and 
  again 
  at 
  

   11.13 
  a. 
  in., 
  in 
  463 
  fathoms, 
  same 
  character 
  of 
  bottom, 
  latitude 
  22° 
  35' 
  

   K, 
  longitude 
  84° 
  23' 
  W. 
  Coral 
  patches 
  were 
  encountered 
  both 
  times 
  

   and 
  caught 
  the 
  net; 
  but 
  we 
  succeeded 
  in 
  getting 
  it 
  on 
  board 
  with 
  a 
  few 
  

   good 
  specimens 
  of 
  ophiurans, 
  sponges, 
  corals, 
  fish, 
  &c. 
  The 
  weather 
  

   was 
  squally 
  during 
  the 
  day 
  with 
  frequent 
  showers, 
  clearing 
  during 
  the 
  

   evening. 
  Our 
  course 
  for 
  many 
  hours 
  lay 
  parallel 
  with 
  the 
  Colorado 
  

   reefs, 
  on 
  which 
  we 
  saw 
  two 
  wrecks, 
  one 
  of 
  them 
  being 
  a 
  Spanish 
  man- 
  

   of-war. 
  

  

  Shortly 
  after 
  dark 
  the 
  engines 
  were 
  slowed 
  half 
  au 
  hour 
  for 
  surface 
  

   towing, 
  and, 
  although 
  a 
  few 
  good 
  specimens 
  were 
  obtained, 
  we 
  found 
  

   comparatively 
  little 
  life. 
  

  

  Cape 
  San 
  Antonio 
  light 
  was 
  sighted 
  at 
  dark 
  and 
  passed 
  out 
  of 
  sight 
  

   at 
  9 
  p. 
  m. 
  At 
  9.38 
  a. 
  m. 
  the 
  following 
  morning 
  we 
  put 
  the 
  tangles 
  over 
  

   in 
  167 
  fathoms, 
  sand, 
  sponge, 
  and 
  coral 
  bottom, 
  latitude 
  20°. 
  59' 
  N., 
  

   longitude 
  86° 
  23' 
  W., 
  off 
  the 
  eastern 
  edge 
  of 
  Arrowsmith 
  Banks. 
  A 
  

   few 
  free 
  criuoids, 
  crabs, 
  sponges, 
  &c, 
  were 
  taken, 
  and 
  finding 
  the 
  bot- 
  

   tom 
  smoother 
  than 
  was 
  anticipated 
  the 
  small 
  beam-trawl 
  was 
  put 
  over 
  

   in 
  130 
  fathoms, 
  near 
  the 
  first 
  position, 
  making 
  au 
  excellent 
  haul. 
  

   Among 
  the 
  various 
  forms 
  were 
  some 
  fine 
  gorgonian 
  corals, 
  an 
  echiuo- 
  

   derm, 
  sponges, 
  corals, 
  &c. 
  This 
  success 
  induced 
  us 
  to 
  make 
  another 
  

   trial, 
  when 
  we 
  fouled 
  the 
  bottom 
  and 
  lost 
  the 
  trawl-net. 
  

  

  We 
  sighted 
  the 
  island 
  of 
  Cozumel 
  at 
  3.10 
  p. 
  m., 
  January 
  22, 
  and 
  

   anchored 
  on 
  the 
  bank 
  at 
  4.55 
  p. 
  m. 
  in 
  5J 
  fathoms, 
  sandy 
  bottom. 
  The 
  

   situation 
  was 
  exposed 
  to 
  northerly 
  winds 
  and 
  the 
  holding 
  ground 
  was 
  

   not 
  good; 
  but 
  we 
  passed 
  a 
  comfortable 
  night, 
  and 
  at 
  0.10 
  a. 
  in., 
  on 
  the 
  

   following 
  day, 
  we 
  got 
  under 
  way 
  and 
  steamed 
  along 
  the 
  western 
  side 
  

   of 
  the 
  island 
  to 
  the 
  anchorage 
  off 
  the 
  village 
  of 
  San 
  Miguel, 
  about 
  4 
  

   miles 
  from 
  the 
  northwest 
  end, 
  where 
  we 
  anchored 
  in 
  41- 
  fathoms, 
  sandy 
  

   bottom, 
  about 
  one-fourth 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  from 
  the 
  beach. 
  

  

  Visits 
  were 
  received 
  from 
  the 
  authorities 
  on 
  shore 
  and 
  returned; 
  our 
  

   object 
  in 
  visiting 
  the 
  island 
  was 
  made 
  known, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  afternoon 
  a 
  

   hunting 
  party 
  was 
  sent 
  on 
  shore 
  to 
  commence 
  collecting, 
  giving 
  their 
  

   attention 
  principally 
  to 
  birds. 
  They 
  were 
  very 
  successful, 
  returning 
  

   before 
  dark 
  with 
  large 
  numbers, 
  many 
  more 
  than 
  they 
  were 
  able 
  to 
  skin 
  

   during 
  the 
  night. 
  Those 
  that 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  otherwise 
  cared 
  for 
  were, 
  

   however, 
  preserved 
  in 
  alcohol, 
  so 
  that 
  none 
  were 
  lost. 
  

  

  The 
  24th 
  was 
  a 
  busy 
  day 
  with 
  the 
  naturalists, 
  some 
  of 
  whom 
  were 
  

   traversing 
  the 
  jungle 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  birds, 
  and 
  others, 
  assisted 
  by 
  a 
  work- 
  

   ing 
  party 
  from 
  the 
  crew, 
  hauling 
  the 
  seine 
  along 
  the 
  beach. 
  Both 
  were 
  

  

  