﻿12 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [10] 
  

  

  were 
  made 
  during 
  the 
  day 
  with 
  very 
  satisfactory 
  results. 
  The 
  chart 
  

   gives 
  the 
  bottom 
  as 
  gray 
  sand 
  and 
  broken 
  shells, 
  but 
  the 
  trawl 
  devel- 
  

   oped 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  where 
  hsh 
  were 
  found 
  live 
  coral, 
  sponges, 
  &c, 
  were 
  

   very 
  abundant, 
  and 
  living 
  among 
  them 
  were 
  vast 
  numbers 
  of 
  shell-fish, 
  

   crabs, 
  annelids, 
  and 
  various 
  minute 
  forms 
  which 
  furnish 
  unlimited 
  food 
  

   supplies 
  to 
  the 
  fish. 
  

  

  We 
  continued 
  work 
  until 
  dark, 
  then 
  started 
  for 
  Pensacola, 
  arriving 
  at 
  

   11.10 
  a. 
  m. 
  the 
  following 
  day. 
  Preparations 
  were 
  made 
  for 
  sea 
  on 
  the 
  

   9th, 
  and 
  at 
  4 
  p. 
  m. 
  on 
  the 
  10th 
  we 
  left 
  for 
  New 
  Orleans, 
  intending 
  to 
  

   investigate 
  a 
  reported 
  bank 
  en 
  route. 
  All 
  sail 
  was 
  made 
  after 
  leaving 
  

   the 
  channel. 
  At 
  12.35 
  the 
  next 
  morning 
  we 
  sounded 
  in 
  43 
  fathoms, 
  

   coarse 
  gray 
  sand, 
  latitude 
  29° 
  27' 
  N., 
  longitude 
  87° 
  44' 
  W., 
  and 
  ran 
  a 
  

   line 
  SSW. 
  to 
  latitude 
  28° 
  54' 
  N., 
  longitude 
  SS° 
  02' 
  W., 
  in 
  G9S 
  fathoms, 
  

   sounding 
  every 
  five 
  miles. 
  We 
  then 
  ran 
  lines 
  in 
  various 
  directions 
  both 
  

   east 
  and 
  west 
  of 
  the 
  position 
  given 
  without 
  developing 
  anything 
  that 
  

   would 
  lead 
  us 
  to 
  expect 
  the 
  existence 
  of 
  a 
  bank 
  in 
  that 
  locality 
  ; 
  in 
  fact 
  

   our 
  soundings 
  corresponded 
  closely 
  with 
  those 
  on 
  the 
  Coast 
  Survey 
  

   chart. 
  Three 
  hauls 
  were 
  made 
  with 
  the 
  trawl 
  in 
  from 
  68 
  to 
  324 
  fathoms, 
  

   in 
  about 
  latitude 
  29° 
  10' 
  K"., 
  longitude 
  88° 
  15' 
  W., 
  with 
  excellent 
  results 
  ; 
  

   many 
  specimens 
  were 
  obtained 
  which 
  we 
  were 
  unable 
  to 
  identify, 
  and 
  

   others 
  exceedingly 
  rare. 
  The 
  last 
  haul 
  was 
  made 
  a 
  little 
  after 
  dark, 
  

   and 
  another 
  line 
  of 
  soundings 
  run 
  which 
  occupied 
  the 
  time 
  until 
  9 
  p. 
  m., 
  

   when 
  we 
  started 
  for 
  Pass 
  a 
  Loutre 
  light, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  verify 
  our 
  position, 
  

   making 
  it 
  at 
  11.50 
  p. 
  in.; 
  then 
  stood 
  for 
  South 
  Pass, 
  making 
  it 
  at 
  

   1 
  a. 
  m. 
  It 
  was 
  blowing 
  a 
  moderate 
  gale 
  from 
  SE. 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  and 
  soon 
  

   shut 
  in 
  very 
  thick, 
  so 
  that 
  we 
  did 
  not 
  succeed 
  in 
  passing 
  inside 
  the 
  jot- 
  

   ties 
  until 
  11.40 
  a. 
  m. 
  Forts 
  Jackson 
  and 
  Saint 
  Philip 
  were 
  passed 
  at 
  

   3.45 
  p. 
  m., 
  and 
  at 
  8.45 
  we 
  anchored 
  below 
  Poverty 
  Point 
  for 
  the 
  night,- 
  

   the 
  weather 
  being 
  too 
  thick 
  to 
  run 
  with 
  safety. 
  We 
  were 
  under 
  way 
  

   again 
  at 
  5.25 
  a. 
  m. 
  on 
  the 
  13th, 
  and 
  anchored 
  off 
  Algiers 
  at 
  9.45. 
  I 
  then 
  

   took 
  the 
  pilot 
  with 
  me 
  as 
  a 
  guide 
  and 
  called 
  on 
  the 
  chief 
  harbor-master, 
  

   who 
  assigned 
  us 
  a 
  berth 
  at 
  a 
  wharf 
  where 
  we 
  would 
  not 
  be 
  molested 
  by 
  

   vessels 
  coming 
  alongside. 
  Returning 
  to 
  the 
  ship, 
  we 
  got 
  under 
  way 
  

   again 
  at 
  3.15 
  p. 
  m. 
  and 
  reached 
  the 
  berth 
  assigned 
  us 
  at 
  1.55 
  p. 
  m. 
  

  

  I 
  telegraphed 
  Mr. 
  Earll 
  at 
  once 
  and 
  met 
  him 
  the 
  following 
  morning, 
  

   when 
  the 
  subject 
  of 
  placing 
  the 
  vessel 
  ou 
  exhibition 
  was 
  discussed. 
  

   We 
  visited 
  the 
  grounds, 
  examined 
  the 
  wharf, 
  and 
  attempted 
  to 
  see 
  

   Major 
  Burke, 
  the 
  director-general; 
  but 
  failing 
  in 
  this, 
  the 
  following 
  

   letter 
  was 
  written 
  : 
  

  

  [United 
  States 
  Commission 
  of 
  Fisli 
  and 
  Fisheries, 
  steamer 
  Albatross, 
  wharf 
  loot 
  of 
  

  

  Terpsichore 
  street.] 
  

  

  New 
  Orleans. 
  La., 
  February 
  14, 
  1885. 
  

   Maj. 
  E. 
  A. 
  Burke, 
  

  

  235 
  Camp 
  tilrect, 
  (JUij. 
  

   Dear 
  Sir: 
  I 
  Lave 
  the 
  honor 
  to 
  inform 
  you 
  that 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  

   Fish 
  Commission 
  steamer 
  Albatross, 
  under 
  ray 
  command, 
  is 
  in 
  port, 
  and 
  

   by 
  direction 
  of 
  Prof. 
  Spencer 
  F. 
  Hand, 
  U. 
  S. 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  Fish 
  and 
  

  

  