﻿18 
  

  

  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  [16] 
  

  

  groupers 
  were 
  taken. 
  The 
  next 
  five 
  stations 
  were 
  occupied 
  without 
  

   finding 
  fish, 
  and 
  it 
  now 
  being 
  too 
  dark 
  for 
  that 
  work, 
  we 
  steamed 
  to- 
  

   ward 
  Tampa 
  Bay, 
  continuing 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  soundings 
  for 
  hydrographic 
  

   purposes, 
  filling 
  a 
  blank 
  on 
  the 
  chart, 
  until 
  within 
  the 
  range 
  of 
  Egmont 
  

   Key 
  light, 
  where 
  we 
  hove 
  to 
  until 
  daylight. 
  

  

  At- 
  9.30 
  a. 
  m., 
  March 
  17, 
  we 
  anchored 
  in 
  Tampa 
  Bay, 
  and 
  sent 
  the 
  

   steam-cutter 
  to 
  town 
  with 
  the 
  mail 
  and 
  for 
  provisions, 
  and 
  the 
  dinghy 
  

   with 
  a 
  seining 
  party 
  to 
  the 
  Little 
  Manatee 
  Biver. 
  The 
  fishermen 
  re- 
  

   turned 
  before 
  dark, 
  having 
  met 
  with 
  good 
  success. 
  Among 
  the 
  edible 
  

   fish 
  taken 
  were 
  sheepshead, 
  mullet, 
  sea-trout, 
  big-eyed 
  herring, 
  crevalle, 
  

   and 
  several 
  other 
  species. 
  

  

  March 
  18 
  opened 
  clear 
  and 
  pleasant, 
  with 
  a 
  light 
  to 
  moderate 
  breeze 
  

   from 
  the 
  northward 
  and 
  westward. 
  We 
  were 
  under 
  way 
  at 
  5.30 
  a. 
  in., 
  

   crossed 
  the 
  bar 
  at 
  8.15, 
  and 
  stood 
  to 
  the 
  southward 
  and 
  westward. 
  A 
  

   small 
  boat 
  was 
  seen 
  adrift 
  about 
  11 
  a. 
  m. 
  and 
  picked 
  up. 
  It 
  proved 
  to 
  

   be 
  a 
  sharpie, 
  with 
  the 
  remnant 
  of 
  a 
  painter 
  hanging 
  over 
  the 
  bow. 
  It 
  

   had 
  no 
  oars 
  or 
  rowlocks, 
  but 
  lying 
  on 
  the 
  bottom 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  which 
  

   filled 
  it 
  nearly 
  to 
  the 
  thwarts 
  were 
  several 
  large 
  live 
  clams, 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  

   conch 
  and 
  clam 
  shells. 
  While 
  taking 
  up 
  the 
  skiff 
  we 
  sounded 
  in 
  18 
  

   fathoms, 
  trying 
  for 
  fish, 
  without 
  success. 
  

  

  At 
  12.32 
  p. 
  m., 
  latitude 
  27° 
  08' 
  30" 
  K., 
  longitude 
  83° 
  10' 
  30" 
  W 
  , 
  in 
  

   25 
  fathoms, 
  coarse 
  gray 
  and 
  black 
  sand, 
  we 
  commenced 
  sounding 
  and 
  

   trying 
  for 
  fish 
  at 
  intervals 
  of 
  five 
  miles 
  in 
  a 
  S. 
  by 
  W. 
  direction. 
  The 
  

   trawl 
  was 
  put 
  over 
  at 
  the 
  second 
  trial 
  (station 
  2409) 
  and 
  brought 
  up 
  a 
  

   quantity 
  of 
  cup 
  sponges 
  (the 
  largest 
  being 
  a 
  foot 
  in 
  diameter), 
  which 
  

   were 
  valuable 
  for 
  the 
  annelids 
  and 
  crustaceans 
  they 
  contained. 
  Sev- 
  

   eral 
  species 
  of 
  fish 
  were 
  taken, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  shells, 
  crabs, 
  bryozoa, 
  &c. 
  A 
  

   haul 
  of 
  the 
  Chester 
  rake 
  dredge 
  was 
  made 
  at 
  station 
  2410 
  with 
  small 
  

   results, 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  shells 
  and 
  sponges 
  being 
  taken. 
  Another 
  haul 
  of 
  

   the 
  trawl 
  was 
  made 
  at 
  station 
  2411 
  , 
  bringing 
  up 
  a 
  heavy 
  load 
  of 
  sponges, 
  

   some 
  of 
  them 
  18 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter, 
  and 
  filled 
  with 
  worms 
  and 
  crus- 
  

   taceans. 
  Several 
  large 
  holothurians 
  were 
  also 
  taken, 
  besides 
  the 
  usual 
  

   variety 
  of 
  small 
  forms 
  occurring 
  in 
  this 
  region. 
  It 
  might 
  be 
  called 
  a 
  

   sponge 
  bottom. 
  The 
  trawl 
  was 
  lowered 
  again 
  and 
  towed 
  at 
  the 
  rate 
  of 
  

   5 
  knots, 
  just 
  clear 
  of 
  the 
  bottom, 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  catching 
  fish, 
  but 
  

   without 
  results. 
  It 
  was 
  after 
  dark, 
  but 
  the 
  net 
  " 
  tired 
  " 
  so 
  much 
  that 
  

   it 
  was 
  quite 
  as 
  visible 
  as 
  though 
  it 
  had 
  been 
  broad 
  daylight. 
  

  

  Nine 
  stations 
  were 
  occupied 
  during 
  the 
  day, 
  and 
  fish 
  were 
  taken 
  at 
  

   the 
  following 
  : 
  

  

  