410 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [40] 



a weather set was a confused swell which could not be accounted for 

 by the prevailing winds. 



At 8.05 on the moruing of the 19th, a sounding was made in 1,997 

 fathoms, green mud, latitude 8° 26' N., longitude 95° 30' W. We were 

 surprised by the announcement from the laboratory that, after a care- 

 ful microscopical examination, they failed to find more than a trace 

 of foraminifera in the bottom specimens, and that it was without doubt 

 of continental origin. Another sounding was made in 2,256 fathoms, 

 green mud, at meridian on the 20th, in latitude 11° 45' N., longitude 

 97° 03' W. Tropic birds and boobies were seen every day, also flying 

 fish and turtles, which constituted about all the life seen between the 

 islands and the Mexican coast. The last sounding of the series was 

 made at 1 p. m., on the 21st, in 1,862 fathoms, green mud, latitude 14° 

 33' N., longitude 98° 14' W., and at 11.25 on the morning of the 22d we 

 anchored in the harbor of Acapulco. 



The United States consul visited the ship during the afternoon, and 

 on the following day Prof. L. A. Lee and I returned his call. Accom- 

 panied by him we paid official visits to the military commandant and 

 captain of the port, and later in the day I called on the commander of 

 the Mexican gun-boat Democrata. We commenced coaling on the 23d 

 and finished at 7 p. m. the following day, having taken on board 122 

 tons. It was a good quality of Cardiff coal, delivered in lighters at the 

 wharf for $14 per ton. 



We got under way as soon as the coal was on board, and left the har- 

 bor at 7.30 p. m. for La Paz. The weather was clear and warm with 

 light, variable winds and smooth sea. Nothing occurred worthy of 

 mention until on the 26th at 1.40 p. m., we cast the trawl in 294 fath- 

 oms, blue mud, latitude 18° 43' N., longitude 104° 04' W. A large 

 number of a scaleless Macrurus, unknown to us, were found in the net, 

 but, to our surprise, nothing else. Another haul was made at 4 p. in. 

 in 117 fathoms, blue mud, latitude 18° 52' N., longitude 104° 10' 30" 

 W., in which large numbers of small red shrimp were taken, besides five 

 species of fish and an octopus. The bottom was composed largely of 

 decomposed vegetable matter, which emitted an offensive odor. 



Resuming our course after the haul was finished, we had a quiet and 

 uneventful run to Pichilinque Harbor, Bay of La Paz, where we anchored 

 at 1.20 p. in., April 29. A boat was sent to town to communicate with 

 the United States consul and to get a mail which we were informed had 

 been sent there. A market boat was sent in at daylight the following 

 morning, and on its returu at 9.30 we got under way and made two 

 hauls of the trawl in the bay, two hauls of the tangles and dredge in 

 San Lorenzo Channel, and finally three hauls of the oyster dredge off 

 the west side of Ceralbo Island, abreast of Point Gorda. They were 

 all successful, some of them being particularly rich. 



La Paz, Mexico, to San Francisco, California. — We were off San Jos6 

 del Oabo at daylight on the morning of May 1, and half an hour later 

 swung ship under steam for compass errors. At 8.18 the tangles were 



