474 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
resources more satisfactorily determined, it will not be safe to predict 
the future of this fishery.. The outlook for the fresh-halibut fishery is 
also not promising for the immediate future, chiefly on account of the 
lack of markets. The local markets are not sufficiently large to take 
the catch of more than one vessel, and the expense of shipping halibut 
to Eastern cities is so high as to preclude any profit to the fishermen. 
The cost of ice has been greatly reduced during the year, however, and 
artificial ice can now be purchased in Port Townsend at $8 per ton. 
Bank off Gray’s Harbor , Washington . — Leaving Seattle June 6, we 
passed out by Cape Flattery and began fishing the next morning on the 
bank off Gray’s Harbor. A trawl line was set at dredging station 
3048 (latitude 46° 45' 30" N., longitude 124° 33' W.), 52 fathoms, extend- 
ing in a southwesterly direction into 60 fathoms. W e lay to in the dingey 
at the leeward end and put over hand lines, but found that the tide 
was running too strongly toward the southeast to do anything at that 
kind of fishing. The day was fine, with a gentle breeze from the WNW., 
accompanied by a moderate swell. After about 2 hours the trawl 
was hauled and yielded us 4 dogfish ( Squalus acanthias), 2 skates, 4 
orange rock-cod, and several starfish. The ground line and ganging of 
the trawl indicated that there were many slimy depressions on the 
bottom. A few red rock-cod were taken with hand lines from the ship, 
and also 1 ratfish ( Cliimcera ). 
Heceta Bank, Oregon . — In the afternoon there was a stiff breeze from 
the northwest, which assisted us on our course toward Heceta Bank, 
where we arrived the next morning. The trawl line, baited with fresh 
red rock-cod and salt herring, was set for over 2 hours, at dredging 
station 3050 (latitude 43° OP 15" N., longitude 124° 57' W.), 46 fathoms, 
bottom very rocky. There was a strong tide running to the southeast 
at the time, and as far as the eye could see the surface was covered with 
Portuguese men-of-war sailing before the gentle breeze. The trawl line 
yielded 11 red rock-cod, 1 orange rock-cod, 1 sea trout, and 1 ratfish; 
the hand lines used from the ship gave 26 red rock-cod, 2 orange rock- 
cod, 4 yellow-tails, and 1 cultus-cod. Hand lines, therefore, seemed 
better adapted to the locality than trawl lines. 
At 2:30 p. m. the same day three small boats were dropped at hydro- 
graphic station 1839 (latitude 44° 59' 30" H., longitude 124° 50' 30" 
W.), 43 fathoms, for the purpose of testing the bottom on Heceta Bank 
in several places at the same time, and with the special view of deter- 
mining the presence of halibut, if possible. The boats anchored within 
half a mile of each other and fished only with hand lines. The trial 
lasted an hour, several lines being also used from the ship at the same 
time. Twenty-two red rock-cod, weighing 192 pounds, were caught by 
the small boats, and 12 of the same species from the ship. As only 
three lines were put over from the ship, it may be considered that they 
had the greater success. In each trial made on the bank the ship 
seemed to meet with better results while drifting than did the small 
