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  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  CALIFORNIA 
  

  

  Atlantic. 
  The 
  Tuscarora 
  had 
  first 
  started 
  in 
  her 
  line 
  of 
  sound- 
  

   ings 
  from 
  the 
  entrance 
  of 
  the 
  Straits 
  of 
  Fuca, 
  across 
  that 
  portion 
  

   of 
  the 
  North 
  Pacific 
  designated 
  as 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Alaska, 
  toward 
  the 
  

   Asiatic 
  coast. 
  After 
  leanng 
  the 
  entrance 
  to 
  the 
  straits, 
  the 
  bottom 
  

   slopes 
  gradually 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  100 
  fathoms, 
  and 
  then 
  a 
  sudden 
  de- 
  

   scent 
  occurs, 
  which 
  reaches 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  1,400 
  fathoms, 
  at 
  a 
  distance 
  

   of 
  150 
  miles 
  from 
  the 
  coast. 
  The 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  at 
  the 
  

   greatest 
  depth 
  on 
  this 
  line 
  of 
  survey 
  was 
  34 
  degrees. 
  

  

  Commander 
  Belknap 
  then 
  returned, 
  prosecuting 
  soundings 
  oflf 
  

   and 
  on, 
  along 
  the 
  coast 
  to 
  the 
  entrance 
  of 
  San 
  Francisco 
  Bay. 
  

   This 
  work 
  determined 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  sudden 
  descent 
  of 
  the 
  bot- 
  

   tom 
  of 
  the 
  Pacific 
  to 
  a 
  great 
  depth 
  is 
  continuous 
  down 
  the 
  entire 
  

   coast, 
  varying 
  from 
  twenty 
  to 
  seventy 
  miles 
  out. 
  In 
  the 
  latitude 
  

   of 
  San 
  Francisco 
  Bay, 
  the 
  great 
  bench 
  is 
  reached 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  

   oflf 
  the 
  Farallones, 
  where 
  the 
  bottom 
  suddenly 
  descends 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  

   of 
  two 
  miles. 
  Oflf 
  Cape 
  Foulweather 
  the 
  bottom 
  descends 
  precipi- 
  

   tately 
  from 
  300 
  fathoms 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  1,500 
  fathoms, 
  and 
  then 
  the 
  

   plateau 
  continues 
  westward 
  for 
  hundreds 
  of 
  miles, 
  and 
  comparatively 
  

   as 
  level 
  as 
  a 
  bilUard-table. 
  Oflf 
  Cape 
  Mendocino, 
  where 
  shoals 
  

   have 
  been 
  erroneously 
  supposed 
  to 
  exist 
  from 
  the 
  seaward 
  jutting 
  

   of 
  the 
  mountains, 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  2,200 
  fathoms 
  is 
  reached 
  eighty 
  miles 
  

   from 
  the 
  shore. 
  Thirty 
  miles 
  oflf 
  the 
  Golden 
  Gate 
  the 
  bottom 
  is 
  

   reached 
  at 
  100 
  fathoms 
  ; 
  at 
  55 
  miles 
  it 
  has 
  descended 
  to 
  1,700 
  

   fathoms 
  ; 
  and 
  100 
  miles 
  out, 
  the 
  enormous 
  depth 
  of 
  2,548 
  fathoms 
  

   has 
  been 
  measured 
  without 
  reaching 
  bottom. 
  

  

  Regular 
  Meeting, 
  March 
  2nd, 
  1874. 
  

   President 
  in 
  the 
  chair. 
  

  

  Sixty-six 
  members 
  present. 
  

  

  A. 
  G. 
  Stiles, 
  Frederick 
  Castle, 
  and 
  Charles 
  Troyer, 
  were 
  elected 
  

   life 
  members 
  ; 
  James 
  Behrens, 
  C. 
  E. 
  Gibbs, 
  John 
  McHenry, 
  Jr., 
  

   Walter 
  Van 
  Dyke, 
  Carlton 
  W. 
  Miller, 
  Edward 
  Steele, 
  James 
  Mc- 
  

  

  