﻿34 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [32] 
  

  

  fathoms, 
  and 
  the 
  large 
  surface 
  tow-net 
  was 
  used 
  with 
  good 
  results. 
  

   The 
  submarine 
  electric 
  light 
  was 
  also 
  used, 
  quite 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  flying 
  

   squid 
  being 
  captured. 
  

  

  A 
  gull 
  and 
  a 
  swallow 
  were 
  the 
  only 
  birds 
  seen, 
  even 
  the 
  petrels 
  hav- 
  

   ing 
  disappeared 
  for 
  the 
  day. 
  The 
  officer 
  of 
  the 
  deck 
  reported 
  a 
  large 
  

   fish 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  morning, 
  which 
  he 
  failed 
  to 
  recognize. 
  

   According 
  to 
  his 
  report, 
  it 
  had 
  barnacles 
  ou 
  its 
  back, 
  was 
  propelled 
  by 
  

   side 
  fins, 
  and 
  seemed 
  to 
  have 
  a 
  pouch 
  under 
  its 
  mouth. 
  This 
  unrecog- 
  

   nized 
  fish 
  was 
  undoubtedly 
  a 
  large 
  turtle 
  floating 
  on 
  the 
  surface, 
  not 
  an 
  

   unusual 
  sight 
  in 
  the 
  Atlantic. 
  

  

  At 
  4 
  a. 
  m. 
  the 
  following 
  day 
  we 
  sounded 
  in 
  2,620 
  fathoms, 
  latitude 
  37° 
  

   23' 
  K, 
  longitude 
  68° 
  08' 
  W., 
  and 
  put 
  over 
  the 
  large 
  beam-trawl, 
  several 
  

   starfish, 
  shells, 
  shrimp, 
  hermit-crabs, 
  and 
  foraminifera 
  being 
  taken. 
  

   We 
  took 
  serial 
  temperatures 
  to 
  1,000 
  fathoms, 
  and, 
  as 
  on 
  the 
  previous 
  

   day, 
  the 
  large 
  surface 
  tow-net 
  and 
  submarine 
  electric 
  light 
  were 
  ad- 
  

   vantageously 
  used. 
  Two 
  dolphins 
  (Coryphcena) 
  were 
  caught 
  during 
  the 
  

   day, 
  one 
  with 
  a 
  hook 
  and 
  line, 
  the 
  other 
  with 
  the 
  grains. 
  

  

  At 
  G.27 
  a. 
  m. 
  on 
  the 
  30th, 
  the 
  large 
  beam-trawl 
  was 
  cast 
  in 
  2,721 
  fath- 
  

   oms, 
  latitude 
  37° 
  45' 
  N., 
  longitude 
  0Q° 
  56' 
  W., 
  and 
  while 
  heaving 
  in, 
  the 
  

   dredge-rope 
  parted, 
  losing 
  the 
  trawl 
  and 
  its 
  appurtenances, 
  beside 
  3.030 
  

   fathoms 
  of 
  rope. 
  The 
  fracture 
  occurred 
  at 
  a 
  splice 
  where 
  the 
  experi- 
  

   mental 
  rope 
  was 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  standard 
  dredge-rope, 
  the 
  tension 
  being 
  

   between 
  3,500 
  and 
  4,000 
  pounds. 
  It 
  should 
  have 
  stood 
  twice 
  that 
  strain 
  

   with 
  safety. 
  The 
  experimental 
  rope 
  referred 
  to 
  was 
  1,000 
  fathoms, 
  hav- 
  

   ing 
  a 
  lower 
  tensile 
  strength 
  and 
  greater 
  pliability 
  than 
  the 
  standard 
  

   rope. 
  It 
  was 
  supposed 
  to 
  be 
  less 
  likely 
  to 
  kink, 
  therefore 
  more 
  reliable 
  

   than 
  a 
  rope 
  of 
  higher 
  tensile 
  strength 
  in 
  which 
  kinks 
  cannot 
  be 
  avoided, 
  

   particularly 
  near 
  the 
  end. 
  We 
  reeled 
  on 
  1,500 
  fathoms 
  of 
  new 
  rope, 
  

   this 
  being 
  all 
  we 
  had, 
  and 
  as 
  we 
  were 
  then 
  left 
  with 
  only 
  3,000 
  fathoms 
  

   on 
  the 
  drum, 
  the 
  remainder 
  of 
  the 
  cruise 
  was 
  necessarily 
  confined 
  to 
  

   depths 
  under 
  2,000 
  fathoms. 
  The 
  vessel 
  was 
  at 
  once 
  headed 
  to 
  the 
  

   northward 
  and 
  eastward 
  to 
  reach 
  the 
  desired 
  locality. 
  The 
  weather 
  re- 
  

   mained 
  clear 
  and 
  pleasant 
  during 
  the 
  forenoon 
  with 
  light 
  to 
  moderate 
  

   breeze 
  from 
  the 
  southward 
  and 
  eastward, 
  becoming 
  overcast 
  with 
  fre- 
  

   quent 
  rain-squalls 
  in 
  the 
  afternoon, 
  falling 
  calm 
  at 
  8.45p. 
  ni. 
  At9.45p. 
  in. 
  

   the 
  wind 
  came 
  out 
  suddenly 
  from 
  northeast, 
  blowing 
  a 
  moderate 
  gale, 
  

   which 
  increased 
  to 
  a 
  fresh 
  gale 
  at 
  midnight. 
  It 
  gradually 
  decreased 
  to 
  

   a 
  light 
  breeze 
  at 
  meridian 
  on 
  the 
  31st, 
  and 
  was 
  cloudy 
  and 
  rainy 
  the 
  

   whole 
  day. 
  Two 
  hauls 
  of 
  the 
  beam-trawl 
  were 
  made, 
  one 
  in 
  1,781 
  fath- 
  

   oms, 
  latitude 
  39° 
  15' 
  K, 
  longitude 
  6S° 
  08' 
  W., 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  in 
  1,782 
  

   fathoms, 
  latitude 
  39° 
  26' 
  K, 
  longitude 
  68° 
  03' 
  30" 
  W. 
  Numerous 
  star- 
  

   fish, 
  shrimp, 
  hermit-crabs, 
  15 
  species 
  of 
  shells, 
  several 
  species 
  of 
  coral, 
  

   and 
  a 
  quantity 
  of 
  foraminifera 
  were 
  the 
  results. 
  

  

  On 
  September 
  1st 
  two 
  hauls 
  were 
  made 
  with 
  the 
  beam-trawl, 
  the 
  first 
  

   in 
  1,813 
  fathoms 
  latitude 
  39° 
  54' 
  ST., 
  longitude 
  07° 
  05' 
  30" 
  W.; 
  the 
  sec- 
  

   ond 
  in 
  1,356 
  fathoms, 
  latitude 
  40° 
  09' 
  30" 
  N., 
  longitude 
  67° 
  09' 
  W. 
  Large 
  

  

  