262 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
that port. The fish were taken in the vicinity of Cape Flattery. Little or nothing 
was realized from the trip. The ice cost $22.50 per ton, and high rates across the 
continent were charged by the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, over whose road 
the shipment was made. After discharging her cargo, the Oscar and Hattie proceeded 
to Port Townsend, where preparations were made for a second trip. An agreement 
was entered into with a firm at Vancouver to furnish the ice at $10 per ton, but three 
weeks passed without receiving any, and the schooner was forced to go north in the 
hope of obtaining a supply from the glaciers in southeastern Alaska. 
During the winter of 1888-89 the Oscar and Hattie made a trip for 
salt halibut to Sitka and vicinity, Capt. Silas Oalder in command. 
Captain Calder has had many years’ experience in the Atlantic halibut 
fishery, and was well qualified for this undertaking. Nevertheless, the 
attempt to secure afareof halibut in Alaska failed, and the result gives 
little encouragement to hope for success in winter fishing in that region.* 
Mr. Alexander had an interview with Captain Calder immediately after 
the latter’b arrival at Port Townsend, and wrote as follows concerning 
it, under date of June 16, 1889 : 
Captain Calder informs me that he fished every day that he could. From the 1st 
of January till the 1st of March they fished in the vicinity of Sitka and found 
nothing but red rock-cod. 
The weather was very blowy. They had no snow or ice to contend with, but 
high winds prevented their fishing a good deal of the time. From the 1st of March 
till within a week they fished off the southern end of Queen Charlotte Island, and 
managed by dint of very hard fishing to pick up 140,000 pounds. The last 3 weeks 
of their fishing they couldn’t get enough to bait up their gear, and, inconsequence of 
the scarcity of fish, only one skate of trawl to a dory was run. Now, last year, Cap- 
tain Calder found excellent fishing in the same locality. Last season I was informed 
by him that he thought there would be no difficulty in catching from two to three 
salt trips a year, but according to his present statement of the halibut fisheries of 
Alaska the outlook is rather poor. This may be an exceptionally poor year. Another 
season halibut may be found more plentiful. It will take a series of years to speak 
knowingly of the Alaskan halibut fisheries. 
As soon as the spring months approach the halibut seek the shallow water of the 
numerous bays and channels. On inquiry as to whether it would pay to follow them 
into, these bays, I was informed that they scatter too much to carry on fishing suc- 
cessfully. 
From the foregoing it will be seen that the fare brought in by the 
Oscar and Hattie on this occasion was secured late in the voyage, after 
the vessel left Alaska. 
The Adams and the Webster made their headquarters at Seattle. 
The latter did not arrive in time to engage in fishing during the sum- 
mer of 1888, and the following year both vessels were employed a large 
part of their time in pelagic fur-sealing. During 1888, however, the 
Adams took 150,000 pounds of fresh halibut, valued at $4,500, and 
180,000 of salt halibut worth $6,300. 
* On May 24, 1889, Capt. Joshua Brown, of Salem, testified before the Senate Com- 
mittee on Relations with Canada (then at Tacoma) as follows: “You can not get 
halibut here in winter. I instructed my captain particularly to ascertain that fact, 
and he did.” 
