[57] WORK OF FISH COMMISSION STEAMER ALBATROSS. 173 



cape, the ship steered southwardly, running down the coast in the di- 

 rection of Cape Hatteras. 



Friday, November 9. — At 7 a. m., tried for fish with hand-lines, these 

 being baited with menhaden, and having various sizes of sinkers and 

 hooks, most of them, however, being ordinary bank and boat codfish 

 gear. We had previously sounded in 19 fathoms, the bottom being 

 fine yellow sand with black specks, and fine broken shells. 



This kind of ground is rarely found good for bottom-feeding fish. 

 We caught only a single sharp-nosed shark (or smooth-backed dogfish) 

 about 2^ feet long. Our position at this time was, approximately, 20 

 miles NNE. ^ E. from Cape Hatteras. 



At 8.23 a. m. we sounded again in 16J fathoms, latitude 35° 20' 30" 

 N., longitude 75° 15' W. ; bottom fine sand and broken shells. Put out 

 hand lines with same result as before, the catch being 1 female sharp- 

 nosed shark about as large as the first. 



The beam trawl was put out, but the catch — 1 small crevall^, 1 star- 

 fish, a few dead shells, and 3 small crabs taken in it — showed a scarcity 

 of such life on the bottom as might serve for food for any of the larger 

 species of fish. 



Leaving this position we ran off shore, and at 11 a. m., latitude 35° 

 16' ^., longitude 75° 2' 30" W., sounded in 48 fathoms; bottom blue 

 mud and coarse sand. Tried for fish with 4 hand-lines, those having 

 the heaviest leads, the others being too lightly sinkered to use in this 

 depth of water with any breeze blowing. Nothing whatever was taken 

 on the lines, though they were out almost three-quarters of an hour. 

 In the mean time, a sharp-nosed shark, which had been seen near the 

 surface, was caught on a shark line. The fish was about 4^ feet long, 

 and its stomach contained many partially digested squid. 



The beam trawl was put out at 11.40 a. m., but, with the exception of 

 a few specimens of small crabs, brought up nothing which might serve 

 as food for fish. 



During the day, when about 3 or 4 miles to the eastward of the posi- 

 tion last given, and when we were steaming at full speed, a school of 

 about 25 to 30 porpoises came by the ship, stopped a few moments under 

 the bow, and were off again. 



Mr. Miller, the paymaster's yeoman, threw the grains into a small 

 dolphin which was playing around the ship in the evening, and was 

 successful in catching it. TJie locality of this capture was latitude 35° 

 9' 50" N., longitude 74o 57' 40" W. 



Saturday, November 10. — Several sets of the beam trawl were made 

 in shoal water, 15 to 18 fathoms, northeastwardly from Cape Hatteras, 

 the wind blowing so fresh from the southwest during the day that it 

 was impracticable to dredge off shore. As in previous hauls in this 

 locality, very few forms of life were brought up in the trawl that could 

 serve as food for fish. The result of these numerous trials in this re- 

 gion would seem to indicate almost an entire absence of bottom-feeding 

 fish, for this saudy slope north of Cape Hatteras would appear to be 



