470 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
iug 150 pounds. Although tough and thick-skinned, they are split and 
cured in the manner of the other species described above. The fishing 
boats, of which there are half a dozen in all, do not differ materially in 
their rig from those used by the fishermen of San Pedro, California. 
Guaymas to the head of the Gulf and return . — Leaving Guay mas on the 
morning of March 23, we proceeded up the coast on the east side of the 
Gulf, past Tiburon Island and Angel de la Guardia Island, doing some 
dredging on the way. In the evening of the 24th we anchored in 13 
fathoms off George’s Island. The next morning we did some collecting 
upon the island and also tried the hand lines from the dingey a short 
distance from the rocks. Fish were scarce, and although we shifted 
our position several times, only two groupers and two trigger-fish were 
caught during an hour’s time. The scarcity of fish was undoubtedly 
due to the abundance of sea lions about the island, which set up a 
fierce howling as we approached the rocks, scampering from their resting 
places and jumping or tumbling into the sea. Later in the afternoon 
we anchored in Adair Bay, and the different kinds of collecting were 
engaged in. Hand-line fishing proved more successful than seining. 
Several large sea bass and another large fish were caught from the ship. 
A turtle was also captured with a trolling line while rowing to shore. 
A night anchorage was made about 5 miles south of Shoal Point at 
9:30 p. m. Hand lines were put over, and in a few minutes they were 
cutting and sheering through the water in a most lively manner. It 
was a hard job hauling the fish to the surface and a far more difficult 
one pulling them over the rail. Finally, however, three large bass 
were landed on the deck, weighing 79, 82, and 140 pounds each. Sea 
bass are abundant along the eastern shore of the Gulf and good fares 
could be obtained if there were a market for them. Our next fishing 
station was at Shoal Point, where two seines were kept in operation on 
the sandy beach during the forenoon with good results. One Spanish 
mackerel was taken. Returning on board, the ship worked northward, 
finally anchoring at the mouth of the Colorado Fiver, Direction Hill 
bearing NW. f IS". At 9 p. m. Professor Gilbert and the writer with two 
seamen set a shad gill net, but only a few sharks were obtained. The 
next morning the ship crossed the head of the Gulf, touching at Consag 
Rock on the way. The bottom was tested with hand lines in several 
places among the rocks, but as in all other localities where sea lions 
occur the fishing was exceedingly poor. From Consag Rock the beam 
trawl was used every 15 miles, but the material was not so rich as on 
the eastern side of the Gulf. Fishing was carried on in San Luis Gon- 
zales Bay, and on the afternoon of March 30, we again arrived at 
Guaymas. 
The following day we proceeded southward, fishing and collecting in 
the lagoons and along the beaches as far as the Yaqui River. Oysters 
were abundant in several places ; they were of excellent quality and 
compared favorably with those of Chesapeake Bay. The Yaqui River 
