232 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
lines being brought into requisition at daylight, repeating our experi- 
ence of the previous day, except that the bottom at the various stations 
was composed largely of black or green mud. Scattering specimens 
only of codfish were taken. 
The sun came out during the afternoon, and we availed ourselves of 
the long-sought opportunity of swinging ship for the purpose of ascer- 
taining compass errors. A dense fog shut down while we were taking 
the last azimuth, so we congratulated ourselves on the suecess of the 
evolution. Work was resumed until dark and sounding continued 
throughout the night, but a southeast gale sprung up suddenly on the 
morning of the 15th, which put a stop to our work and, in fact, drove 
us into port a day or two earlier than was intended. A heavy sea 
was encountered, particularly while crossing the several passes into 
the Pacific, and we were obliged to adopt measures never before con- 
sidered necessary on board of this vessel, to protect skylights, windows, 
ete. Fog and mist obscured the land until we were within a few miles 
of Uiuliuk, Unalaska, where we arrived at 9 p. m. the same day. 
The revenue cutter Bear, Alaska Commercial Company’s steamers 
Dora and Karluk, and the North American Trading Company’s steamer 
Arago were in the harbor, two of them requiring coal. The Bear left for 
the north at daylight on the 17th. The schooner Mattie T. Dyer arrived 
the same afternoon and was seized by the collector for illegal sealing 
in Alaskan waters. The deputy United States marshal made writven 
application on the 18th for assistance in removing the captured schooner 
to a place of safety, and in compliance with his request she was taken 
tothe inner harbor and securely moored by an officer and party of men 
from this ship. 
The gale continued until the 19th. We coaled ship on the 20th and 
21st, taking 100 tons, not enough to fill the bunkers, but all we could get, 
owing to a temporary scarcity at the station. The Alaska Commercial 
Company’s steamer St. Paul arrived from San Francisco on the 23d, 
bringing us mail and supplies which were taken on beard, and at 6:30 
p.m. we got under way and proceeded to sea, bound for Bristol Bay. 
The weather was overcast with drizzling rain, mist, and fog, which 
frequently obscured the land. 
Slime Bank.—W ork was continued at daylight next morning off the 
- Northwest Cape of Unimak, successive lines of dredging and fishing 
stations being run tangent to the coast. The beam trawl developed an 
abundance of life on the bottom and the use of the hand lines soon 
proved that we were on prolific codfish grounds, Fishermen have 
given it the name of Slime Bank, from the numbers of medusz brought 
up on their gear. These jellyfishes are of a brownish or rusty color, 
from 6 to 18 inches in diameter, have long slender tentacles, and are 
well armed with stinging organs. They were not seen on the surface, 
but inhabit an intermediate space, probably near the bottom, for late 
in the season, when their numbers have greatly increased, the fisher- 
