Reports on the Scientific Results of the Expedition to the Tropical 

 Pacific in charge of Alexander Agassiz, by the U. S. Fish Commission 

 Steamer " Albatross," from August, 1899, to March, 1900, Commander 

 Jefferson F. Moser, U. S. N., comjvianding. 



I. 



PRELIMINARY REPORT. 



TOGETHER WITH A LIST OF THE STATIONS OCCUPIED BY THE "ALBATROSS." 

 By ALEXANDER AGASSIZ. 



(Published by permission of Geo. M. Bowers, U. S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries.) 



I arrived at San Francisco on August 20th, and after consulting 

 with Commander Mo.ser we decided to leave on Wednesday, the 23d.' 

 E\-erything shipped from the East had arrived with the exception of the 

 tow-nets sent me by Dr. Kramer, and the deep-sea nets kindly ordered 

 for me by Professor Chun of Leipzig. Captain Moser and I decided not 

 to make any soundings nor do any deep-sea work until we had passed 

 beyond the lines of soundings already run by the " Albatross " and 

 " Thetis " between California and the Hawaiian Islands. 



In latitude 31° 10' N., and longitude 125° W., we made our first sounding 

 in 1955 fathoms, about 320 miles from Point Conception, the nearest land. 

 We occupied twenty-six stations until we reached the northern edge of the 

 plateau from which rise the Marquesas Islands, having run from Station 1, 

 a distance of 3800 miles, in a straight line. 



At Station 2 the depth had increased to 2368 fathoms, the nearest land, 

 Guadelupe Island, being about 450 miles, and Point Conception nearly 

 500 miles, distant. The depth gradually increased to 2628, 2740, 2810, 

 2881, 3003, and 3088 fathoms, the last in lat. 16° 38' N., long. 136° 14' W., 



' E.\plorations of the " Albatross" in the Pacific Ocean. [Extract from a letter to the Hon. George 

 M. Bowers, U. S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, Washington, D. C, dated Papeete Harbor, 

 Tahiti Island, 30 September, 1899, on the trip of the "Albatross" from San Francisco to Papeete, by 

 Alexander Agassiz.] Am. Jour. Sci., Fourth Series, Vol. IX., No. 49, January, 1900. 



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