INVESTIGATIONS OF THE ALBATROSS. 
471 
Indians monopolize the oyster business, supplying the inhabitants of 
Guaymas and of the neighboring region. An oyster cannery was 
established at Guaymas several years ago, but the enterprise did not 
turn out successfully. On one of the beaches in the vicinity of the 
Yaqui River we obtained mullet, red snapper, alewives, and flounders 
in considerable numbers, and also captured one Spanish mackerel. 
We crossed the Gulf April 2, and reached La Paz early the next 
morning. The ship then ran down to Pichilinque Bay for the purpose 
of coaling. The pearl fishery is the principal industry of La Paz, giv- 
ing employment toSOOmen. About $100,000 worth of pearls are secured 
yearly in this vicinity ; the bulk of these are shipped to Germany. 
Leaving Pichilinque Bay on the 6th we sailed down the coast and an- 
chored at noon the next day off Cape San Lucas, where part of the 
afternoon was given to seining and hand-line fishing. 
Cape San Lucas to San Francisco . — Steaming northward along the 
outer coast of the peninsula, we made our first stop at Magdalena Bay, 
anchoring in Man-of-war Cove. Seines were used on all suitable beaches 
within 4 or 5 miles of our anchorage, and also near the mouth of the 
bay close to Belcher Point. Pood-fishes were plentiful in both locali- 
ties, and among the specimens taken were mullet, perch, anchovies, 
smelts, and flounders. When off the entrance to the bay, about a mile 
northward of Entrada Point, we ran past several schools of fish. A 
pelican dived into one of them, whereupon there was the unmistakable 
“ rush n of mackerel. This was the first school of that species which 
had given us positive proof of their identity by their movements. These 
bodies were working northward, but as it was nearly dark when we 
came upon them, we were unable to continue the observations. At 
Port San Bartolome both seines and hand lines were tried. Nothing 
was taken on the latter, which were used in several places among the 
submerged rocks and ledges off the mouth of the harbor, the bottom 
seeming to be destitute of life. Mullet, smelts, anchovies, and floun- 
ders were plentiful on the beaches. The U. S. S. Ranger arrived at 
this point at the same time as the Albatross , and with her large seine 
167 turtles were captured in a single haul. As turtles are scarce on the 
western coast of the United States, it might pay a vessel to visit this 
region once or twice a year for the purpose of obtaining supplies for the 
California markets. A concession would be necessary from the Mexican 
Government, but it could be obtained without difficulty. 
Stops were subsequently made at San Quentin Bay, Cerros and San 
Martin Islands, and on April 14 the Albatross reached San Diego. By 
direction of the Commissioner of Fisheries, Professor Gilbert and the 
writer were temporarily detached from the ship at this port, in order to 
make an investigation of the Lower Colorado and Gila Rivers with ref- 
erence to the shad planted in them several years before. In the mean- 
time the Albatross proceeded to San Francisco, where we joined her May 
21, just as she was starting northward on her summer cruise. 
