XXXVIII -REPORT OF OPERATIONS AT SAINT JEROME STATION, 

 IN LAYING OUT OYSTER PONDS, BY THE STEAMER FISH HAWK 

 IN 1883. 



By Lieut. W. M. Wood, U. S. N., Commanding. 



In obedience to your instructions, 1 left Washington in this vessel on 

 the afternoon of Monday, 12th instant, bound for Saint Jerome Greek, 

 to carry out, as far as possible, certain work, a memorandum of which 

 was furnished me by Mr. Ferguson. 



It was, briefly, to lay out the oyster ponds into small rectangles, 

 sound out the various channels, plot the results on the charts, and 

 afterwards fill tbe ponds with oysters taken from the bay. 



We arrived ofl" Saint Jerome's early Tuesday afternoon, and I at once 

 arranged with W. C. Foxwell to cut and haul the necessary stakes to 

 mark the ponds. 



Tbe weather was too bad to permit any dredging until Thursday, the 

 ]5th, and in the mean time I employed myself in laying out the ponds. 

 The divisions were made 100 feet square, pond A containing forty- 

 three whole and nine fractional ones ; pond B, six whole and six frac- 

 tional squares; and pond C, three squares near its head and one oppo- 

 site the wharf. 



In pond B all but 4, 5, and 6 are dry at low-water, and oysters 

 planted on them will freeze during cold weather. The squares at head 

 of pond C, numbered 1, 2, and 3, have a bottom of soft mud to the 

 depth of 6 feet, except very near the shore, and therefore are not suit- 

 able for planting over their whole surface; The same is true to a less 

 extent of the square opposite the wharf, numbered 4. 



The squares are all marked by a stake at each corner, and in the cen- 

 ter a stake bearing the number of the square. The positions of all three 

 stakes are plotted on the tracing furnished, as well as the depth of the 

 center of channel at low water. 



Having been obliged to seek shelter in Cornfield Harbor on Wednes- 

 day night, I commenced dredging there on Thursday morning, and 

 worked with indifterent success until noon, when I ran around to Saint 

 Jerome's, and while the ship continued dredging there I went ashore and 

 carried on the work above alluded to. During the night it came on to 

 blow a gale from the northward and westward, which continued dur- 

 ing the whole of Friday, the 16th. 



[1] 1153 



H. Mis. 67 73 



