AUTHOR'S LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. 



U. S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, 



Washington, D. C, January 21, 1890. 

 Col. Marshall McDonald, 



U. S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, 



Sir: In accordance with instructions received from you June 3, 1889, directing me 

 to make an investigation of the salmon rivers of Alaska, with particular reference to 

 the habits, abundance, and distribution of the salmou, the conditions and methods of 

 the fisheries, and the steps necessary to prevent their decline and to render them per- 

 manently successful, I left Washington June 10, 1889, in company with Mr. Robert E. 

 Lewis, who was detailed to assist me in the exploration. We arrived in San Fran- 

 cisco June 18. 



Finding that Capt. E. P. Herendeen, whose services had been secured as surveyor 

 for the party, could not go with us, Mr. Franklin Booth, of the University of Cali- 

 fornia, was engaged to take his place. 



We were delayed in San Francisco, awaiting an opportunity to sail, until July 3, 

 in the mean time purchasing materials necessary for the expedition. Prof. George 

 Davidson, of the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, obtained from the General Office 

 of the Survey permission for us to use various instruments belonging to his office, 

 including a theodolite, a level, a barometer, and other articles mentioned in the sur- 

 veyor's report. 



On July 3 we sailed from San Francisco for Port Townsend, where we arrived 

 July 6. We were joined here by Mr. Livingston Stone, who was detailed by you to 

 inquire especially into the feasibility offish culture in Alaska. 



The Karluk Packing Company's steamer Karluk, of San Francisco, was to convey 

 us from here to Kadiak, but we were detained by an accident to her keel and did not 

 sail from Port Townsend until July 19. 



We reached St. Paul, Kadiak, July 28, and Karluk August 2. 



We found that, owing to the lateness of the season, it was impossible to carry 

 out the programme indicated in your letter of instructions. There was no opportunity 

 of reaching Bristol Bay, and only one vessel departed from Karluk for Cook's Inlet. 

 This was the steamer Francis Cutting, which sailed August 7, only five days after our 

 arrival at Karluk, and we learned that she would not return in time for us to 

 accomplish anything at that place during the fishing season. 



Finding that Karluk is the most important salmon fishing station in Alaska, 

 yielding fully one half of the entire catch of the Territory, I concluded that we must 

 begin our studies there, even if it became necessary also to limit them to that locality. 



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