[51] THE SCHOONER GRAMPUS. 487 



39. SOUNDING. 



For sounding on fishing grounds in moderate depths, an ordinary 

 deep-sea sounding line is used, this being marked at every 5 or 10 fath- 

 oms. In the deeper waters off the edge of the fishing banks, where 

 halibut occur, and where the depth ranges from 200 to 400 fathoms, 

 soundings are obtained with the Tanner sounding machine. This appa- 

 ratus is also used in shallow water where much accuracy is required. 

 When sounding on a fishing ground, where it is not essential to have 

 absolute accuracy, the vessel is simply brought head to the wind, with- 

 out taking in any sail, and allowed to shoot until her headway is de- 

 creased, when the lead is thrown from the bow, the forward motion of 

 the schooner bringing the line about plumb from the stern by the time 

 the sinker reaches the bottom. Considerable skill and experience are 

 required to insure success in sounding by this method, but in depths 

 less than 100 fathoms it is practicable to obtain nearly accurate results, 

 except in rough weather. 



When trials for fish with hand-lines are to be made, the vessel is usu- 

 ally hove to before a sounding is taken. 



When the Tanner sounding machine is used, the schooner is hove to 

 on the starboard tack, in the same manner as when fishing for mackerel. 

 Unless the wind is blowing strong, the drift is so small that the lead 

 u strays " very little from a vertical position, and there is seldom any 

 difficulty in obtaining accurate soundings. 



J.— REMARKS CONCERNING THE GENERAL EQUIPMENT. 



In addition to the special forms of apparatus, which have been de- 

 scribed in detail, the general equipment of the Grampus includes 

 much material intended for specific uses, besides that which is too mis- 

 cellaneous to be specified. It is believed the following remarks are 

 sufficiently explicit to convey the necessary information concerning it : 



The outfit for navigation purposes includes, in addition to what has 

 already been mentioned — 



1 sextant. 



2 marine clocks. 



2 liquid compasses. 

 1 Azimuth compass. 

 1 Tell-tale compass. 

 1 Bliss patent taffrail log. 



1 Aneroid barometer. 



2 pairs of dividers. 



2 parallel rulers ( I patent,l common). 

 1 pair binocular glasses. 

 1 fog bell. 

 1 watch bell. 



The chart list includes three hundred and twenty-eight sheets of the 

 Atlantic Coast and Harbors, covering the region extending from Labra- 

 dor to the West Indies. There are several Coast Pilots covering the 

 same territory.* 



* The charts, with the exception of nine, have been supplied to the Commission by 

 the U. S. Hydrographic Office and the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, and the Sur- 

 vey has also furnished the Coast Pilots. 



