1154 EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [2 J 



It being necessary to leave our anchorage on account of the heavy 

 swell setting in, I went on up the bay to Baltimore to coal, arriving 

 there late Friday evening. Finished coaling Monday afternoon, and 

 started down the bay, anchoring below Thomas Point at 10 p. m. with 

 the intention of dredging there in the morning, but until late the next 

 day we were shut in by a thick fog. When it lifted we found the 

 schooner Louis Taulane, Oapt. E. L. Shelton, of Crisfield, loaded with 

 oysters, had run ashore on the point during the fog, and the captain at 

 once applied to me for assistance. 1 did what I could at the time, but 

 as the tide had fallen since he went ashore, could not pull him off until 

 it rose again. 



We dredged in his vicinity until just before dark, and then ran a line 

 to him and set him afloat without diflBlculty. We got very few oysters 

 here, as the ground, notwithstanding it is forbidden to the dredgers, is 

 thoroughly w^orked out. I was told it was a favorite place to work 

 secretly at night. As soon as we let go the schooner I ran to the mouth 

 of Eastern Bay and anchored for the night, intending to dredge the fol- 

 lowing day off Poplar Island. 



Again we were shut in by fog during all the first half of Wednesday, 

 the 21st. The fog lifted at noon and we at once got under way and 

 tried the Poplar Island bed, but found it so poor and stony that I 

 gave it up after an hour's work and ran down to Parker's Creek, on the 

 west side of the bay, and finished the day dredging there, catching but 

 few oysters, but plenty of shells. Anchored that night off Governor's 

 Run. 



Dredged the whole of Thursday, the 22d, off" Governor's Eun; the 

 oysters were scarce, but very fine. 



Stopped work at at 5 p. m. and ran down to the mouth of the Patux- 

 ent for a harbor for the night. Got under way at 6.30 next morning 

 and ran down to Saint Jerome, which our experience so far taught us 

 to be the best dredging-ground. 



We commenced dredging on our arrival there at 8.30 a. m., and at 

 the same time the launch brought out the scow, and the oysters pre- 

 viously caught were put on it, and I accompanied them in and person- 

 ally supervised the planting, the ship in the mean time continuing her 

 work. 



Worked in the same way during the next day, Saturday, the 24th, 

 except that twice we were obliged to stop and anchor for two hours 

 each time on account of thick fog. The oysters caught on Saturday 

 afternoon I landed on Sunday morning with great difficulty on account 

 of a rapidly increasing wind from the northeast, and, as soon as it was 

 done, got under way and steamed into the Potomac on our way to 

 Washington. 



The Fish Hawk is not adapted for taking oysters in the great quan- 

 tities that will be required for planting in ponds. She can operate but 



