[95] WORK OF FLSII COMMISSION STEAMER ALBATROSS. 211 



been 592 burmiig hours. This average would have been greater, but 

 for the fact that the deck-house is abundantly supplied with lights, 

 many of which are in very exposed positions, and have been accidentally 

 broken long before their burning life was completed. This system of 

 lighting has been to us a source of great comfort, so great, indeed, that 

 it can only be properly appreciated by those who have used flickering 

 candles in state-rooms, and who also know the difficulty with which 

 ships' lamps, as a rule, are kept in good order. In addition to having 

 a brilliant and steady light, it must be remembered that these lamps 

 do not consume any of the oxygen of the air in the quarters below 

 decks, which are necessarily restricted in cubic capacity, but leave it 

 all for purposes of respiration. 



In building the ship and in fitting her out neither expense nor pains 

 were spared to make her a comfortable home for officers and men, and 

 experience during the past year has shown her to be a comfortable and 

 healthy ship. During 1883 the ship has been engaged in deep-sea ex- 

 plorations along the Atlantic coast from Cape Hatteras, N. C, to Cape 

 Sable, Nova Scotia. The following ports were visited, several of them 

 more than once: Washington, D. C. ; Wilmington, Del. 5 Norfolk, Va.; 

 New York, N. Y.; Greenport (L. L), N. Y. ; Newport, E. I.; Wood's 

 Holl, Mass. ; New Bedford, Mass. ; Portsmouth, N. H. ; Provincetown, 

 Mass.-; Gloucester, Mass. ; Baltimore, Md. During the year she has 

 steamed 10,416 miles, and was under steam 327 days. She was under 

 steam, at sea, 108 days ; in port, 257 days. There were 83 admissions 

 to the sick-list ; of these 77 were discharged to duty ; 6 were invalided 

 to the Washington and Norfolk naval hospitals ; of these, 3 returned to 

 duty on board and 3 were discharged from the service in the hospitals. 

 One hundred and thirty-seven recruits were examined; of these, 110 

 were accepted and 27 rejected. The average number of souls on board 

 for the year has been 67 ; of these, 9 are commissioned officers. There 

 are no marines or apprentice boys in the ship's company. 



