﻿[39] 
  WORK 
  OF 
  STEAMER 
  ALBATROSS. 
  41 
  

  

  heavy 
  head 
  sea 
  was 
  encountered. 
  Cape 
  Hatteras 
  light 
  was 
  sighted 
  at 
  

   5.19 
  p. 
  m. 
  on 
  the 
  22d, 
  and 
  at 
  C 
  a. 
  m. 
  on 
  the 
  23d 
  we 
  made 
  Cape 
  Henry 
  

   light, 
  passing 
  it 
  at 
  7 
  a. 
  m. 
  The 
  wind 
  moderated 
  as 
  we 
  approached 
  the 
  

   coast, 
  and 
  after 
  entering 
  the 
  Chesapeake 
  we 
  had 
  a 
  light 
  northerly 
  breeze 
  

   and 
  clear 
  weather. 
  

  

  At 
  2.30 
  p. 
  m., 
  off 
  Point 
  Lookout, 
  we 
  swung 
  ship 
  under 
  steam 
  to 
  ascer- 
  

   tain 
  compass 
  errors, 
  and 
  at 
  4.35 
  p. 
  m. 
  resumed 
  our 
  course 
  up 
  the 
  river, 
  

   anchoring 
  off 
  Blakistone's 
  Island 
  for 
  the 
  night. 
  "We 
  were 
  under 
  way 
  

   again 
  at 
  6.15 
  a. 
  m. 
  on 
  the 
  24th, 
  and 
  arrived 
  at 
  the 
  navy-yard, 
  Washing- 
  

   ton, 
  D. 
  C, 
  at 
  3.10 
  p. 
  in., 
  mooring 
  at 
  our 
  usual 
  berth 
  off 
  the 
  east 
  ship- 
  

   house. 
  

  

  The 
  specimens 
  on 
  board 
  were 
  transferred 
  to 
  the 
  Smithsonian 
  Institu- 
  

   tion, 
  and 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  refitting 
  commenced. 
  The 
  vessel 
  was 
  painted, 
  the 
  

   rigging 
  refitted, 
  holds 
  and 
  store-rooms 
  broken 
  out, 
  whitewashed 
  or 
  

   painted, 
  and 
  restowed, 
  and 
  the 
  bilges 
  cleaned. 
  The 
  dredging 
  ap- 
  

   paratus 
  was 
  overhauled, 
  and 
  2,000 
  fathoms 
  of 
  uew 
  dredge-rope 
  pro- 
  

   cured. 
  New 
  trawl 
  and 
  dredge 
  frames 
  were 
  provided, 
  the 
  dredging- 
  

   block 
  repaired, 
  and 
  a 
  cast-brass 
  hood 
  added 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  rope 
  from 
  

   flying 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  score 
  when, 
  from 
  any 
  cause, 
  it 
  is 
  slackened. 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  taken 
  a 
  new 
  departure 
  in 
  surface 
  collecting, 
  and 
  instead 
  of 
  

   the 
  old 
  form 
  of 
  net, 
  with 
  a 
  hoop 
  1 
  foot 
  in 
  diameter, 
  we 
  have 
  enlarged 
  it 
  

   to 
  4 
  feet, 
  and 
  strengthened 
  the 
  parts 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  towed 
  at 
  the 
  rate 
  

   of 
  5 
  knots 
  an 
  hour. 
  It 
  has 
  a 
  pocket 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  trawl, 
  which 
  pre- 
  

   vents 
  the 
  escape 
  of 
  fish. 
  This 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  net 
  has 
  

   opened 
  a 
  new 
  and 
  interesting 
  field 
  of 
  investigation, 
  in 
  which 
  we 
  have 
  

   made 
  many 
  additions 
  to 
  the 
  surface 
  fauna. 
  

  

  The 
  table 
  of 
  fishing 
  stations 
  appended 
  to 
  this 
  report 
  shows 
  the 
  extent 
  

   to 
  which 
  we 
  have 
  prosecuted 
  the 
  search 
  for 
  tile-fish. 
  They 
  were 
  dis- 
  

   covered 
  by 
  Captain 
  Kirby, 
  in 
  May, 
  1879, 
  in 
  latitude 
  40° 
  04' 
  N., 
  longi- 
  

   tude 
  70° 
  59' 
  W., 
  at 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  80 
  fathoms, 
  and 
  were 
  taken 
  again, 
  in 
  July, 
  

   1879, 
  by 
  Captain 
  Dempsey, 
  in 
  87 
  fathoms, 
  latitude 
  40° 
  02' 
  N., 
  longitude 
  

   70° 
  07' 
  W. 
  We 
  took 
  them 
  in 
  considerable 
  numbers 
  during 
  the 
  seasons 
  

   of 
  1SS0 
  and 
  1881, 
  previous 
  to 
  the 
  unprecedented 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  spe- 
  

   cies 
  in 
  March 
  and 
  April 
  of 
  the 
  following 
  year. 
  As 
  they 
  were 
  a 
  fish 
  of 
  

   great 
  commercial 
  value, 
  we 
  have 
  made 
  diligent 
  search 
  for 
  them 
  from 
  

   year 
  to 
  year 
  since 
  1882 
  in 
  the 
  region 
  where 
  they 
  were 
  first 
  found, 
  ex- 
  

   tending 
  the 
  search 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  North 
  Carolina 
  in 
  1883 
  and 
  

   1884, 
  and 
  to 
  Newfoundland 
  and 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Mexico 
  in 
  1885, 
  without 
  dis- 
  

   covering 
  the 
  least 
  trace 
  of 
  their 
  existence. 
  

  

  Our 
  experience 
  seems 
  to 
  confirm 
  the 
  belief 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  entirely 
  

   exterminated 
  or 
  that 
  the 
  survivors 
  abandoned 
  our 
  coast. 
  The 
  table 
  re- 
  

   ferred 
  to 
  shows 
  also 
  the 
  investigations 
  carried 
  on 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  other 
  

   edible 
  fish 
  in 
  widely 
  separated 
  localities. 
  

  

  Two 
  attempts 
  further 
  to 
  investigate 
  the 
  tile-fish 
  grounds 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  

   chartered 
  fishing 
  schooners 
  should 
  be 
  mentioned 
  as 
  properly 
  belonging 
  

  

  