466 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES, 
THE RE VILLA GIGEDO ISLANDS, LOWER CALIFORNIA, AND THE GULF 
OF CALIFORNIA. 
San Diego to the Revilla Gigedo Islands . — Having made the necessary 
* preparations, the ship left San Diego, February 26, for a cruise to the 
southward, including a visit to the Gulf of California. Soundings were 
carried to Guadeloupe Island, where we lay to during the night of the 
27th. The following morning, while a party landed on the island, 
Professor Gilbert and the writer went in a small boat to look for fishes 
near the shore. We were well provided with lines and bait, and also 
had five torpedoes with a Farmer electric machine for exploding them. 
The torpedoes were used in depths of 4 to 6-J fathoms close by the shore, 
where the bottom was plainly visible, but we did not succeed in killing 
any fishes by this means, and only a few specimens were seen among 
the rocks. Hand lines were tried with poor success. Several u Gara- 
baldi” ( Pomaeentrus rubicundus) were observed swimming gracefully 
about, their red color contrasting strongly with the black bottom. A 
small school of smelts was tolled around, and two were caught, the sole 
result of our day’s work. Hand lines were also used from the ship, 
while dredging in depths of 19 to 26 fathoms, but without success. 
Alijos Rocks, in latitude 24° 58' K, longitude 115° 52' 36 " W.,were 
reached on the morning of March 2. They consist *>f three large rocks 
cropping out from the sea, and at a distance appear like three square- 
rigged ships sailing before the wind. A short trial with hand lines in 
34 fathoms on the northeast side of the rocks and close to them gave 
no results. A few starfish were brought up by the tangles, but the 
beam-trawl net was badly torn on the rough bottom. Sea elephants 
have been reported from time to time about the Alijos Rocks, but none 
were seen by the Albatross , and it seems impossible for them to exist 
there, as the sides of the rocks are nearly perpendicular from base to 
summit and between the rocks is a solid wall of breakers even with a 
comparatively smooth sea. The reports were undoubtedly erroneous. 
The following morning at 10 o’clock Clarion Island was sighted. 
Several soundings were made during the day, and at 4 p. m. the ship 
anchored in Sulphur Bay in 10 fathoms of water. Just before dark a 
menhaden net was set in 4 fathoms a short distance from the shore. 
A number of sharks were observed swimming about, and it was thought 
best not to allow the net to remain out too long for fear of its being 
torn to pieces. We therefore started out to haul it at 9:30 p. m. The 
water was phosphorescent, and on arriving at the spot we were met by 
numerous sharks patrolling up and down each side of the net. The 
latter was empty, but there were unmistakable indications that some 
fish had meshed in it, as the net contained several large holes near the 
middle, evidently made by sharks in seizing their prey. ^ 
Early the next morning I accompanied Professor Gilbert in one of the 
small boats to do some fishing in shallow water. We anchored in 
