50 THREE CRUISES OF THE “ BLAKE." 
A systematic exploration of the Gulf of Mexico was begun in 
1872 by Commander Howell, U. S. N., on the West Coast of 
Florida, in comparatively shallow water, and was continued and 
brought to a successful conclusion by Lieutenant-Commander 
Sigsbee (1875—78) in the United States Coast Survey steamer 
* Blake." The deep-sea hydrographic work of the “ Blake” 
was preceded by a number of soundings taken by the old meth- 
ods, across the Straits of Florida, along the Florida Reefs, 
and across the Gulf Stream beyond the Straits of Bemini. 
Wire soundings were begun on the * Blake" in August, 1874, 
while she was in charge of Commander John A. Howell, U.S. 
N., the apparatus employed being Sir William Thomson’s ma- 
chine for sounding with piano-wire, as modified by Commander 
George E. Belknap, U. S. N. 
The expeditions of Pourtalés were followed in 1877-80 by the 
dredging cruises of the “ Blake,” a vessel built especially for 
the hydrographie work of the Coast Survey, and thoroughly 
fitted out for deep-sea dredging and sounding-work in 1877. 
The “Blake” explorations extended through the Caribbean 
(Bartlett commanding’), the Gulf of Mexico (Sigsbee command- 
ing), the Straits of Florida, and the east coast of the United 
States as far north as George's Bank. To these expeditions I 
was attached in charge of the dredging operations. The deepest 
trawling of the “ Blake” was in 2,423 fathoms, and the deepest 
sounding taken by the “ Blake,” in 1882, by Lieutenant-Com- 
mander Brownson, off Porto Rico, was in a depth of 4,561 fath 
oms. Finally, we must mention the extended operations of the 
United States Fish Commission, directed by Professor S. F. 
Baird, assisted by a large staff of specialists. These commenced. 
in 1871 with naval tugs, and were carried on at first in moder- 
ate depths. With the building of the “ Fish-Hawk" in 1882, 
the operations were extended into somewhat deeper waters off 
the east coast of the United States; the equipment of the “ Al- 
batross" in 1883 supplied the Fish Commission with the best 
equipped dredger for deep-sea work in existence; and the work 
of the Commission is now extended to the deepest water along 
the American coast. 
After the close of the Civil War the Coast Survey resumed 
