446 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
4:15, and at 8:10 a. m. anchored off the steamer wharf in the outer 
harbor of Victoria. An officer was sent to call on the U. S. consul, 
who visited the ship at 10:30 a. m. 
Final preparations were made, and at 4 p. in. the vessel was ready 
for sea. The Senate committee arrived at 0 p. in., and when called 
upon informed us that it had become necessary to change their plans 
and abandon the contemplated trip to Alaska. Having nothing further 
to detain us we left Victoria at 5:30 on the morning of the 29th and 
anchored in Fort Townsend at 9:45, when inquiries were made concern- 
ing supplies ordered to meet us there, but they had not arrived. We 
went to Seattle the following morning and remained until June 6, wait- 
ing for alcohol, making some repairs in the engineer’s department, and 
attending to other matters which were left unfinished on our hurried 
departure from San Francisco. The consignment of alcohol failing to 
arrive, a small quantity was purchased in open market, and we left 
port for a cruise off the coasts of Oregon and Washington Territory. 
We called at Port Townsend on our way down the sound to get a dory 
for fishing purposes, but could find none for sale. 
Coast of Washington . — Getting under way from the latter place at 
11:30 a. in., we entered the Straits of Juan de Fuca an hour later, en- 
countering a fresh head wind and chopping sea, which reduced the 
speed considerably, as we were usifig only one boiler. We passed 
Cape Flattery at 10 p. m. and, although the wind had moderated, a 
heavy swell still rolled in from the westward, knocking the ship about 
uncomfortably, our course placing her in the trough of the sea. 
At 9:10 a. m. on the 7th we cast the trawl in 48 fathoms on the bank off 
Shoalwater Bay, and spent the remainder of the day in exploring the bay, 
the beam trawl, trawl line, and hand lines being used. Flounders and 
red rock-cod were the principal fish taken and they were fairly abun- 
dant, although not sufficiently so to warrant an attempt to take them on 
a large scale. Scattering dogfish and skates were taken on the trawl line 
and many of the baits were covered by starfish. Whales were seen on 
the bank during the day. 
Coast of Oregon . — At 4 p. fh. we started to the southward, passed 
within range of Cape Disappointment and Tillamook Lights, and at 
3:18 a. m., on the 8th, were abreast of Yaquina Light. Taking our de- 
parture from the point, we ran for Heceta Bank, where we arrived at 
8:50 and sounded in 46 fathoms, rocky bottom. A trawl line was set and 
the beam trawl put over, but it caught on the rocky bottom and wrecked 
the net. The tangles being substituted, several hauls were made, 
bringing up gorgonian corals, sponges, bryozoans, crinoids, pennatulas, 
ophiurans, starfish, sea-urchins, etc., which indicated live bottom, In 
addition to the trawl line, which was set as soon as we reached the bank, 
trial lines were used from the ship at intervals, and boats were anchored 
at different parts of the bank, from which hand lines were used. Each 
method was fairly successful, large numbers of red rock-cod and orange 
