[31] WORK OF FISH COMMISSION STEAMER ALBATROSS. 147 



fathoms of rope were lost. The rope parted at a kink. With the above 

 exception the hauls were very successful. At 10.20 p. m. we started 

 for Wood's Holl, arriving at 2.05 p. m. the followiiig day, when the 

 specimens were transferred to the laboratory. 



At 11 a. m. on the 6th we left for Newport, where we arrived at C 

 p. m. and anchored for the night. At 9 a. m. the following day we got 

 under way and proceeded to sea for the i^urpose of ascertaining the pres- 

 ent location of menhaden and other schooling fish in the waters adja- 

 cent to Block Island, Montauk, and the southern coast of Long Island. 

 The weather was clear and calm, the glassy surface of the sea enabling 

 us to discover the smallest ripple at any distance withiu the line of 

 vision. A lookout was kept both on the bridge and at the mast-head. 

 We stood directly for Block Island and, passing it on the starboard 

 hand, ran 11 miles SSW. ^ W., then 9 miles NNW. 25 miles S. by W., 

 then 26 miles N. J W. which brought us inside of Montauk Point, where 

 at 7.10 p. m. w^ anchored for the night. There were no schooling fish 

 seen during the day. We were under way again at 4.30 a. m. the fol- 

 lowing day, and stood along the southern shore of Long Island from 3 

 to 5 miles from land until off Shinnecock light, but no fish were seen. 

 We then turned off shore S. by E. and soon saw small schools of men- 

 haden, and at 9 miles from land saw large schools extending about 7 

 miles. Eeaching a point 20 miles S. by E. of Shinnecock, we changed 

 the course to EISTB. f E. and ran 60 miles. After steaming about 18 

 miles on the above course, large schools of menhaden were seen, and 

 we continued to pass them for nearly an hour. Schools of small mack- 

 erel, i)orpoises, and an occasional sword-fish were seen during the day, 

 but no more menhaden. Having brought Block Island to bear NW. 

 by N. 23 miles distant, we ran for it, anchoring at 6.50 p. m. off tbe 

 basin. 



At 5 a. m. the following day we got under way and ran 33 miles 

 SE. by E., 25 miles E. by S., 15 miles NNE. | E. to within 6 miles of 

 the south coast of Nantucket, then 18 miles NW. by W. ^ W. and 10 

 miles W. to No Man's Land, which we rounded within a mile or two of 

 the land and stood for Gay Head, where at 6 p. m. we anchored for the 

 night. A few small schools of menhaden were seen soon after leaving 

 Block Island. Small mackerel were encountered at intervals through- 

 out the day, and quite a large number of sword-fish were seen also. We 

 were under way again at 6 a. m. on the 10th, and ran SW. by W. 20 

 miles, then laid a course direct for Newport, where we arrived at 10.52 

 a. m. 



I would call your attention to the statement of Captain Tuttle, in 

 Captain Almy's report, in which he says that codfish caught winter 

 before last between Barnegat and Fire Island were found to have men- 

 haden in their stomachs. I would also call your attention to Mr. Nich- 

 olas Ball's statement that codfish arriving on the Block Island grounds 



