[3] OPERATIONS OF SCHOONER GRAMPUS. 703 



unfit to use. I thiuk it is now safe to say that the large number of sets 

 made with the trawl-line on this occasion, together with the trials made 

 with hand-lines, clearly demonstrate the fact, that, if the tilefish has 

 not become absolutely extinct in this region, it is certainly so rare that 

 the chances of obtaining it are limited. It is possible that in other re- 

 gions it may be found, or it inay be taken, at some later period, in the 

 locality visited by us, but at the present time it seems very doubtful if 

 it exists along the northern borders of the Gulf Stream to the eastward 

 of 73° west longitude. 



It is a somewhat remarkable fact, and one seemingly worthy of notice 

 in this place, that, with comparatively few exceptions, the fish caught 

 had no food in their stomachs. Hake are notably voracious, and it is 

 reasonable to infer that if food is abundant in this region there would 

 be as good evidence of it as when, in former years, the tilefish were 

 found gorged with Crustacea, etc. 



We left the tilefish ground on the evening of August 21. It was 

 calm and foggy during the a. m. of the 23d. At this time we were off 

 to the southward of Block Island, about 15 or 10 miles distant. Here 

 we saw several schools of porpoises running in various directions. In 

 the afternoon the wind increased from a light air to a moderate breeze 

 from the southward. We headed in for Martha's Vineyard. The fog 

 cleared for awhile, and Block Island was seen. A number of hagdons 

 (Puffimis major) were seen on the previous day off Long Island, and 

 others were noticed to-day. At 12.40 p. m. I succeeded in wounding 

 one, which we secured alive, and brought it on board. 



We arrived at Wood's Holl on the afternoon of August 24. * As soon 

 as the collections which had been obtained on the cruise were landed, 

 together with such portion of the vessel's equipment as was not required 

 for work in the immediate future, preparations were made for a trip to 

 the eastern fishing banks in quest of halibut, which, it was hoped, 

 might be brought into port alive in the vessel's well, thus affording an 

 opportunity for experimentation in the artificial propagation of this im- 

 portant and valuable species. 



The large iron steam windlass and the engine and boiler used on the 

 Grampus having been found too heavy for her, the accumulation of 

 weight forward making it difficult to keep the vessel in trim, and caus- 

 ing her to pitch and send heavily in a seaway, the Commissioner de- 

 termined to have them removed and to substitute instead a wooden 

 windlass, such as is ordinarily used on fishing schooners. 



The boiler and steam pump were landed at Wood's Holl, and, arrange- 

 ments having been made with Gloucester parties to make the necessary 

 changes in the windlass, we left Wood's Holl on September 1, and on 

 the following day reached Gloucester. 



On the afternoon of the 2d the vessel was hauled out on the railway 

 to have the condensing pipes taken off her bottom, and at high water 

 the next day she was launched again and moored to the railway pier, 



