54 Fish Stories 



The study of the life of the deep sea has been mainly the 

 result of vessels especially fitted for the work of dredging 

 and trawling. First in importance in this regard stands 

 the " Albatross," a vessel of the United States Navy, con- 

 trolled by the United States Bureau of Fisheries. Next 

 comes the British ship " Challenger," which made a notable 

 cruise around the world for the purpose of deep-sea inves- 

 tigations. This trip has yielded larger results than any 

 other single cruise, so far as the deep seas are concerned, 

 but the " Albatross " has made a far greater number of 

 expeditions. Other notable dredging vessels are the " In- 

 vestigator," in the Indian Ocean, the " Travailleur " and the 

 " Talisman " about the coast of France, the " Vigilante " in 

 the Mediterranean, the "Knight Errant" about Great 

 Britain, the " Blake " and the " Fish Hawk " in the United 

 States and the " Thetis " in Australia. 



The writer's experiences on the deep seas have been 

 mainly on the "Albatross." The principal piece of appa- 

 ratus used in this work is the beam trawl. This is a long 

 net, resting at its mouth on two curved iron bars like sled 

 runners. 



The method of fishing is to drop this net, properly 

 weighted and adjusted, to the bottom of the sea, holding it 

 by a wire cable. When it has reached the bottom, what- 

 ever the depth, the vessel steams slowly forward, dragging 

 it for a distance, it may be for a few rods, it may be half 

 a mile. Then, by means of a steam windlass, the net is 

 drawn to the surface. Those fishes which lie near the bot- 

 tom are sure to be taken, and others may be caught as the 

 net rises. As nets are unknown to these creatures, they 

 make no effort to escape, and even the most active are 

 readily caught, if near enough to the bottom. 



Sometimes the trawl is caught on a rock, and is lost alto- 

 gether. Sometimes the net is torn on a coral mass or other 

 jagged obstruction. Sometimes it is filled with soft mud, 

 or with loose stones; sometimes again with seaweeds, or 



