﻿23G 
  

  

  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [20"] 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  tabulated 
  statement 
  will 
  show 
  where 
  the 
  trials 
  were 
  

   made, 
  the 
  catch, 
  &c. 
  : 
  

  

  The 
  snappers 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  last 
  berth 
  were 
  much 
  larger 
  and 
  liner 
  than 
  

   any 
  that 
  had 
  been 
  caught 
  before 
  on 
  this 
  or 
  the 
  previous 
  day. 
  As 
  soon 
  as 
  

   the 
  fish 
  were 
  struck 
  the 
  order 
  was 
  given 
  to 
  set 
  the 
  trawl 
  line, 
  which 
  

   was 
  already 
  baited 
  and 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  dinghy, 
  with 
  the 
  other 
  necessary 
  

   apparatus, 
  in 
  readiness 
  for 
  use. 
  The 
  boat 
  was 
  lowered 
  at 
  once, 
  and 
  I 
  

   went 
  in 
  her, 
  with 
  two 
  seamen, 
  to 
  set 
  the 
  gear. 
  As 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  dinghy 
  

   was 
  well 
  clear 
  of 
  the 
  ship's 
  stern 
  we 
  began 
  to 
  put 
  out 
  the 
  line, 
  and 
  set 
  

   it 
  to 
  leeward, 
  which 
  was 
  nearly 
  in 
  the 
  direction 
  that 
  the 
  current 
  .was 
  run- 
  

   ning. 
  Unfortunately, 
  the 
  trawl-line 
  was 
  too 
  far 
  to 
  leeward 
  to 
  cross 
  the 
  

   spot 
  where 
  the 
  snappers 
  were 
  found, 
  and, 
  as 
  a 
  consequence, 
  no 
  food- 
  

   lishes 
  were 
  taken 
  on 
  it, 
  the 
  catch 
  being 
  three 
  eels, 
  each 
  about 
  15 
  inches 
  

   long, 
  and 
  two 
  other 
  small 
  fish 
  of 
  no 
  economic 
  value. 
  

  

  The 
  day 
  was 
  well 
  advanced 
  when 
  the 
  trawl 
  was 
  set, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  a 
  lit- 
  

   tle 
  past 
  5 
  p. 
  m. 
  when 
  we 
  returned 
  to 
  the 
  ship. 
  In 
  the 
  mean 
  time, 
  while 
  

   the 
  boat 
  had 
  been 
  out, 
  a 
  dozen 
  or 
  fifteen 
  fine 
  snappers 
  were 
  caught 
  on 
  

   board 
  the 
  ship 
  about 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  cable's 
  length 
  to 
  windward 
  of 
  the 
  

   weather 
  trawl-buoy. 
  As 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  dinghy 
  was 
  hoisted, 
  the 
  ship 
  

   started 
  ahead 
  on 
  her 
  course 
  for 
  Pensacola, 
  where 
  she 
  arrived, 
  and 
  made 
  

   fast 
  to 
  the 
  navy-yard 
  wharf, 
  about 
  3:30 
  p. 
  m. 
  on 
  the 
  9th. 
  

  

  Before 
  concluding 
  the 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  trip 
  above 
  described 
  it 
  should 
  

   be 
  stated 
  that 
  during 
  the 
  two 
  days 
  the 
  ship 
  was 
  on 
  the 
  fishing 
  ground 
  

   the 
  weather 
  was 
  fine, 
  and 
  the 
  wind 
  moderate, 
  consequently 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  

   good 
  opportunity 
  for 
  obtaining 
  observations 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  positions 
  

   accurately, 
  and 
  nothing 
  to 
  prevent 
  a 
  boat 
  from 
  going 
  out 
  whenever 
  it 
  

   seemed 
  necessary. 
  

  

  We 
  laid 
  at 
  the 
  navy-yard 
  three 
  days. 
  On 
  the 
  afternoon 
  of 
  March 
  11 
  

   Mr. 
  Benedict 
  and 
  I 
  started 
  off 
  in 
  the 
  dinghy 
  for 
  a 
  cruise 
  about 
  the 
  bay, 
  

   hoping 
  to 
  capture 
  some 
  porpoises, 
  which 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  abundant 
  there. 
  

   Although 
  we 
  saw 
  numbers 
  of 
  them, 
  and 
  they 
  seemed 
  especially 
  plenty 
  

   about 
  Santa 
  Eosa 
  Island, 
  they 
  were 
  too 
  wary 
  for 
  us 
  to 
  get 
  near 
  enough 
  

   to 
  kill 
  them. 
  Despite 
  numerous 
  attempts, 
  we 
  could 
  not 
  approach 
  close 
  

  

  