﻿44 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [42] 
  

  

  Other 
  soundings 
  than 
  those 
  quoted 
  were 
  taken 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  these 
  

   dangers, 
  conclusively 
  proving 
  their 
  non-existence. 
  The 
  trawl-net 
  was 
  

   also 
  dragged 
  over 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  Jesse 
  Eyder 
  Rock 
  without 
  discov- 
  

   ering 
  any 
  sign 
  of 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  the 
  bottom. 
  

  

  While 
  at 
  anchor 
  off 
  the 
  village 
  of 
  San 
  Miguel, 
  island 
  of 
  Cozuuiel, 
  

   Yucatan, 
  a 
  reconnaissance 
  was 
  made 
  of 
  the 
  bay, 
  and 
  forwarded 
  to 
  the 
  

   Bureau 
  of 
  Navigation, 
  Navy 
  Department. 
  The 
  longitude 
  of 
  the 
  plaza^ 
  

   established 
  by 
  equal 
  altitudes 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  with 
  sextant, 
  artificial 
  hori- 
  

   zon, 
  and 
  four 
  chronometers, 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  8G° 
  57' 
  59.6" 
  W. 
  ; 
  the 
  lat- 
  

   itude 
  was 
  found 
  by 
  thirteen 
  ex-meridian 
  altitudes 
  of 
  the 
  sun, 
  with 
  arti- 
  

   ficial 
  horizon, 
  to 
  be 
  20° 
  30' 
  46" 
  N., 
  and 
  the 
  compass 
  variation 
  6° 
  24' 
  E. 
  

  

  The 
  shore 
  line 
  was 
  run 
  in, 
  and 
  houses 
  and 
  other 
  landmarks 
  located 
  

   by 
  compass, 
  sextant, 
  and 
  micrometer 
  telescope, 
  a 
  man 
  6 
  feet 
  tall 
  serv- 
  

   ing 
  as 
  staff 
  for 
  the 
  latter. 
  The 
  anchorage 
  was 
  also 
  sounded 
  out 
  and 
  

   sailing 
  directions 
  prepared. 
  

  

  While 
  working 
  in 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Mexico 
  the 
  opportunity 
  was 
  taken 
  of 
  

   furnishing 
  the 
  Navy 
  Department 
  with 
  remarks 
  on 
  the 
  landfall 
  of 
  Pen- 
  

   sacola, 
  Fla., 
  steamer 
  beacons 
  in 
  Tampa 
  Bay, 
  the 
  entrance 
  to 
  the 
  South 
  

   Pass 
  of 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  River, 
  and 
  currents 
  in 
  the 
  Gulf. 
  Special 
  sound- 
  

   ings 
  were 
  also 
  taken 
  eastward 
  of 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  delta, 
  which 
  proved 
  

   the 
  non-existence 
  of 
  a 
  30 
  to 
  40 
  fathom 
  bank, 
  represented 
  on 
  old 
  charts 
  

   as 
  extending 
  eastward 
  about 
  30 
  miles 
  from 
  longitude 
  88° 
  10' 
  ou 
  the 
  

   parallel 
  of 
  29° 
  05'. 
  Fishermen 
  seeking 
  new 
  grounds 
  have 
  sought 
  for 
  

   this 
  bank 
  and 
  wasted 
  money 
  in 
  the 
  search. 
  

  

  A 
  short 
  line 
  of 
  soundings 
  run 
  out 
  southeastward 
  into 
  the 
  Gulf 
  Stream 
  

   from 
  between 
  Capes 
  Fear 
  and 
  Romain, 
  South 
  Carolina, 
  showed 
  that 
  the 
  

   bottom 
  is 
  rather 
  flatter 
  there 
  than 
  is 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  negative 
  sound- 
  

   ings 
  given 
  on 
  the 
  charts 
  to 
  the 
  northeastward 
  and 
  southwestward. 
  

  

  Opportunity 
  was 
  taken 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  slight 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  

   near 
  the 
  100-fathom 
  line 
  south 
  of 
  Nantucket 
  Island, 
  where 
  indications 
  

   had 
  been 
  found 
  in 
  1884 
  of 
  an 
  inward 
  sweep 
  of 
  the 
  200 
  to 
  600 
  fathom 
  

   curves. 
  This 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  case, 
  a 
  marked 
  pocket 
  making 
  in 
  on 
  

   the 
  meridian 
  of 
  75° 
  15' 
  W., 
  latitude 
  39° 
  50' 
  to 
  40°. 
  

  

  The 
  phenomenon 
  of 
  semi-diurnal 
  tidal 
  currents 
  was 
  again 
  observed 
  in 
  

   latitude 
  39° 
  40' 
  to 
  40°, 
  between 
  the 
  meridians 
  of 
  70° 
  and 
  71°, 
  where 
  it 
  

   had 
  been 
  noticed 
  in 
  previous 
  seasons. 
  Their 
  directions 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  nearly 
  

   east 
  and 
  west, 
  but 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  practicable 
  while 
  dredging 
  to 
  ascertain 
  

   with 
  any 
  accuracy 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  turning. 
  

  

  The 
  position, 
  as 
  given 
  on 
  the 
  charts, 
  of 
  the 
  southeast 
  end 
  of 
  Banque- 
  

   reau 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  erroneous. 
  With 
  favorable 
  circumstances 
  for 
  ac- 
  

   curate 
  work, 
  the 
  100-fathom 
  curve 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  10 
  miles 
  farther 
  to 
  

   WNW. 
  than 
  represented. 
  

  

  While 
  sounding 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Watson's 
  Rock 
  and 
  farther 
  west, 
  

   the 
  northern 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  Stream 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  in 
  about 
  latitude 
  

   40° 
  20' 
  between 
  the 
  meridians 
  of 
  53° 
  and 
  60°; 
  and 
  while 
  running 
  along 
  

   that 
  line, 
  on 
  the 
  19th 
  to 
  21st 
  of 
  June, 
  on 
  an 
  easterly 
  course 
  (true), 
  the 
  

  

  