﻿28 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [26] 
  

  

  You 
  will 
  oblige 
  me 
  by 
  conferring 
  with 
  Captain 
  Collins 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  

   the 
  points 
  to 
  be 
  visited, 
  and 
  accept 
  bis 
  suggestions 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  you 
  may 
  

   consider 
  proper. 
  

  

  I 
  am 
  desirous 
  of 
  obtaining 
  as 
  nearly 
  as 
  I 
  can 
  the 
  contour 
  lines, 
  as 
  well 
  

   as 
  the 
  outlines, 
  of 
  the 
  fishing 
  banks, 
  and 
  the 
  maximum 
  depths 
  of 
  water 
  

   between 
  them, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  furnish 
  the 
  data 
  for 
  a 
  relief 
  model 
  of 
  the 
  fishery 
  

   sea 
  bottom. 
  Should 
  there 
  be 
  any 
  suggestions 
  of 
  available 
  localities 
  for 
  

   fishing 
  not 
  yet 
  examined, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  well 
  to 
  investigate 
  these 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  

   convenient. 
  

  

  The 
  determination 
  of 
  the 
  depths 
  off 
  the 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  banks 
  will 
  be 
  of 
  

   interest 
  both 
  in 
  a 
  scientific 
  and 
  practical 
  point 
  of 
  view. 
  

  

  You 
  will 
  obtain 
  at 
  Newport 
  and 
  carry 
  with 
  you 
  a 
  sufficient 
  supply 
  of 
  

   bait 
  to 
  use 
  the 
  trawl 
  line 
  to 
  a 
  convenient 
  extent, 
  purchasing 
  such 
  quan- 
  

   tity 
  of 
  ice 
  as 
  may 
  be 
  necessary 
  to 
  keep 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  best 
  condition. 
  

  

  As 
  stated, 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  time 
  for 
  this 
  survey 
  is 
  left 
  to 
  your 
  discretion 
  ; 
  

   it 
  may 
  occupy 
  a 
  month 
  if 
  you 
  think 
  proper. 
  You 
  will 
  take 
  in 
  your 
  sup- 
  

   plies 
  of 
  coal 
  at 
  the 
  most 
  convenient 
  points. 
  It 
  is 
  suggested 
  that 
  three 
  

   or 
  four 
  hauls 
  of 
  the 
  trawl 
  be 
  made 
  on 
  the 
  slope 
  between 
  the 
  banks 
  and 
  

   the 
  Gulf 
  Stream, 
  somewhere 
  between 
  hauls 
  2,070 
  and 
  2,084. 
  

   Respectfully 
  yours, 
  

  

  SPENCER 
  F. 
  BAIRD, 
  

  

  Commissioner. 
  

  

  P. 
  S. 
  — 
  I 
  am 
  in 
  receipt 
  of 
  a 
  letter 
  from 
  the 
  Bureau 
  of 
  Navigation 
  ask- 
  

   ing 
  that 
  if 
  not 
  interfering 
  with 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  Fish 
  Commission, 
  the 
  

   commander 
  of 
  the 
  Albatross 
  be 
  instructed 
  to 
  make 
  an 
  examination 
  of 
  

   Hope 
  Bank 
  and 
  Watson's 
  Rock. 
  You 
  will 
  do 
  what 
  you 
  can 
  to 
  carry 
  out 
  

   this 
  request 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  done 
  without 
  seriously 
  interfering 
  with 
  

   the 
  program 
  above 
  indicated. 
  

  

  S. 
  F. 
  B. 
  

  

  We 
  arrived 
  at 
  Newport 
  at 
  9.50 
  p. 
  m. 
  on 
  the 
  15th, 
  and 
  spent 
  the 
  fol- 
  

   lowing 
  day 
  adjusting 
  compasses 
  in 
  Narragansett 
  Bay. 
  On 
  the 
  17th 
  we 
  

   took 
  on 
  board 
  42^4^- 
  tons 
  of 
  coal, 
  two 
  Cape 
  Ann 
  dories 
  with 
  fittings, 
  

   and 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  torpedoes 
  from 
  the 
  torpedo 
  station. 
  These 
  torpedoes 
  

   were 
  taken 
  on 
  board 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  experimenting 
  on 
  the 
  banks 
  as 
  

   to 
  the 
  effect 
  the 
  explosion 
  would 
  have 
  on 
  marine 
  life. 
  At 
  3.50 
  p. 
  m. 
  we 
  

   got 
  under 
  way 
  and 
  proceeded 
  to 
  sea. 
  Numerous 
  menhaden 
  steamers 
  

   and 
  mackerel 
  schooners 
  were 
  seen 
  between 
  Beaver 
  Tail, 
  Block 
  Island, 
  

   and 
  No 
  Man's 
  Land. 
  Several 
  schools 
  of 
  small 
  mackerel 
  were 
  observed 
  

   the 
  following 
  day 
  south 
  of 
  George's 
  Bank. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  morning 
  of 
  the 
  10th 
  we 
  commenced 
  a 
  line 
  of 
  soundings 
  to 
  the 
  

   westward 
  of 
  Hope 
  Bank, 
  and 
  continued 
  it 
  over 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  eastward 
  of 
  

   its 
  position 
  as 
  given 
  on 
  H. 
  O. 
  chart 
  21«, 
  finding 
  from 
  1,915 
  to 
  2,095 
  

   fathoms, 
  demonstrating 
  beyond 
  doubt 
  that 
  no 
  bank 
  exists 
  in 
  that 
  im- 
  

   mediate 
  locality. 
  

  

  We 
  then 
  stood 
  in 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  Watson's 
  Rock, 
  sounding 
  at 
  inter- 
  

   vals, 
  and 
  when 
  we 
  were 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  reported 
  danger 
  sounded 
  

   every 
  few 
  miles, 
  finding 
  depths 
  between 
  2,803 
  and 
  3,103 
  fathoms. 
  The 
  

   depth 
  found 
  at 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  rock 
  as 
  given 
  on 
  the 
  chart 
  was 
  2,882 
  

   fathoms. 
  As 
  the 
  weather 
  was 
  clear 
  during 
  this 
  time 
  and 
  the 
  observa- 
  

  

  