17 



made, and tlieir prompt publication was prevented only 

 by the pressure brought upon the Government Printing 

 Office by more urgent work. 



During the period between 1862 and 1S65 there were p ° s \ a ^ of.com- 

 published charts of the compass-stations at New York, P ubli8bed - 

 Boston, Hampton Roads, the Delaware River, and Ports- 

 mouth, N. H. 



The death of Captain Gilliss occurred on the 9th of Feb- 

 ruary, 1865, and, on the 28th of April Rear- Admiral C. H. 

 Davis was appointed his successor. 



Aside from its regular duties, the most important work 

 of the Depot during the following year was the prepara- 

 tion of a report in accordance with a Senate resolution 

 calling upon the Secretary of the Navy to furnish " the 

 summit levels aud distances by survey of the various pro- te^aSccanais 

 posed lines for inter-oceanic canals and railroads between andraiiroadspre- 



r pared in the De- 



the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as also their relative merits P ot 

 as practicable lines for the construction of a ship-canal, 

 and especially as relates to the Honduras, Tehuantepec, 

 Nicaragua, Panama, and Atrato lines." 



No new surveys were made for this report, but the in- 

 formation required was collected from various sources, and 

 an elaborate report submitted, accompanied by fourteen 

 maps and profiles. 



FISCAL TEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1867. 



On the 21st of June, 1866, the connection between the HydrograpMc 

 Observatory and the Depot of Charts and Instruments was by name, 

 severed by law. The act of Congress, passed on that date, 

 established " A Hydrographic Office for the improvement 

 of the means for navigating safely the vessels of the Navy 

 and mercantile marine, by providing, under authority of 

 the Secretary of the Navy, accurate and cheap nautical 

 charts, sailing directions, navigators, and manuals of in- 

 struction for the use of all vessels of the United States, 

 and for the benefit and use of navigators generally." (U. S. 

 Stat. L., vol. xiv, p. 69, and Rev. Stat., sees. 431, 432, 433.) 



The act further provided that the Secretary of the Navy construction of 

 be authorized "to cause to be prepared," in the Hydro- ? Z ef. rts author " 

 graphic Office thus created, such " maps, charts, and sail- 

 ing directions, and nautical books relating to and required 

 in navigation, and to publish and furnish them to naviga- 

 11353 H o 2 



