[27] WORK OF STEAMER ALBATROSS. 397 



The weather continued clear and pleasant in the harbor, although it 

 was foggy outside for several hours. I made the circuit of the bay 

 during the afternoon, and found the shores heavily timbered, beeches 

 predominating and growing to the water's edge, often overhanging. 

 Fresh water streams were frequent and distinguishable by small sand 

 beaches off their mouths. The rock formations differed from those of 

 the Straits and western Patagonia, and in place of the universal granite, 

 conglomerates were conspicuous, and trap was of frequent occurrence, 

 with an occasional thin vein of quartz. 



Fur seals, blue heron, humming-birds, wood-peckers, and parrots 

 were seen, and among the specimens brought in by the collectors were 

 wild geese, penguins, cormorants, hawks, etc. Fish were plentiful, 

 several species being taken with the seine and hand-lines. Two large 

 squid were caught, one of them 5 feet 2 inches, and the other 5 feet 7 

 inches in length, both of the same species, which was new to us. 



Port Otivay to Lota and Tome, Chili. — We left Port Otway at 4.20 

 a. m., February 11, and rounding Cape Tres Montes proceeded on our 

 course to the northward under steam and sail. A successful haul of 

 the trawl was made at 4 p. m. in 1,050 fathoms, and while the ship 

 was under low speed three fine albatrosses were taken with hook and 

 line. They measured from tip to tip of wings, 10 feet 7 inches ; 10 feet 

 3 inches ; and the smallest 10 feet. 



A haul of the trawl was made between 2.40 and 6. p. m., February 

 12, in 1,342 fathoms, green mud, and although the net was badly torn, 

 quite a number of valuable specimens were brought up. The substance 

 encountered on the bottom was mud and clay, cemented by carbonate 

 of lime into masses from one-fourth of an inch to 3 inches in thickness, 

 underlying a thin coating of mud. The mass was perforated with holes 

 made by burrowing animals, and could be broken and crumbled in the 

 hand, yet it had a slight ring under the hammer. It closely resembled 

 the formation encountered by us off the capes of the Delaware and seems 

 identical with the " tosca " of the east coast of South America. The 

 trawl was cast at 3 o'clock p. m. on the 13th, in 1,287 fathoms, green 

 mud, but failed to reach the bottom, a few red shrimp only being found 

 in the net. 



Land was seen to the southward of Lota Bay at daylight on the 14th, 

 but w T as soon obscured by a dense fog. At 9.40 a. m. the trawl was 

 cast off the entrance to the bay in G77 fathoms, yellow mud, and landed 

 on deck at 12.47 p. m., after long and tedious efforts to get it off the 

 bottom with its enormous load of mud, then to wash out sufficient to 

 enable us to hoist the remainder on board. It turned out one of the 

 richest hauls of the cruise, which compensated somewhat for the long 

 delay. We steamed into the bay as soon as the trawl was landed, tak- 

 ing the passage south of Sta. Maria Island, and anchored in the har- 

 bor of Lota at 4.55 p. in., iu 7 fathoms, about one-third of a mile south 

 of the iron pier. The captain of the port visited the ship and granted 



