A CONTRIBUTION TO THE OCEANOGRAPHY OF THE PACIFIC 



By James M. Flint, 



Medical Director, U. S. Navy; Curator, Division of Medicine. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In the early part of the year 1899 the U. S. S. JVero, a steam collier 

 of 4,925 tons displacement, which had been purchased for use during 

 the Spanish-American war, was fitted out by the Navy Department, 

 equipped with the necessary apparatus, and dispatched from San 

 Francisco under the command of Commander Charles Belknap, U. S. 

 Navy, with instructions to survey a route for a telegraph cable between 

 the United States, the Philippine Islands, and Japan. 



On account of the illness of Commander Belknap, he was relieved 

 from command on the arrival of the ship at Manila by Lieut. Com- 

 mander H. M. Hodges, U. S. Nav}^, who remained in charge of the 

 survey until its completion. 



Several previous surveys having established a satisfactory route 

 between the coast of California and the Sandwich Islands, the actual 

 work of the JVero began at Honolulu, from which port the ship sailed 

 on the 6th day of May, 1899. 



The following table of dates, distances, and number of soundings 

 furnishes an abstract of the cruise: 



Locality. 



Left San Francisco 



Arrived Honolulu 



Left Honolulu 



Arrived Midway Island 



Left Midway Island 



Arrived Guam 



Left Guam 



Arrived Dingala Bay, Luzon . . 



5106— No, 55—05 1 



Distance run. 



1, 184. 5 



Number of 

 soundings. 



3, 520. 35 



1,400.15 



None. 



195 



467 



191 



