276 



SCIENCE, 



[Vol. V., No. 113. 



A sharp gale from the southward, and heavy sea, 

 now set in, preventing further work; and, after 

 waiting two days for the weather to moderate, the 

 Albatross proceeded on her way, taking several king- 

 fish with trolling-lines as she passed along the Florida 

 reefs. Having taken in coal at Key West, she sailed 

 on the 15th for Havana, where she arrived the next 

 day. Notwithstanding the rough and uneven bot- 

 tom, several hauls were made with the beam-trawl 

 in 37 fathoms, on the afternoon of the 15th, with 

 excellent results. The next five days were occupied 

 in daily trips out of Havana, and the constant use of 

 the tangles and beam-trawl upon the ' Pentacrinus ' 

 ground. Thirty-two hauls, in all, were made, bring- 

 ing up a large supply of sea-lilies, besides an immense 

 variety of other things, and one specimen of sea-lily 

 supposed to represent a new genus. 



Leaving Havana on the 20th, the surface tow-net 

 was put over on two successive evenings just after 

 dark, with poor results, there being very little surface 

 life. On the 21st two hauls (beam-trawl) were made 

 in 426 and 423 fathoms, north of the western end of 

 Cuba, w ith fair results, notwithstanding coral patches 

 on the bottom. Two wrecks, one a Spanish man-of- 

 war, were seen on Colorado reefs. On the 22d sent 

 down tangles, and afterward small beam-trawl, in 167 

 fathoms, off the eastern end of Arrowsmith Banks, 

 with excellent results, including many forms unknown 

 to those on board. 



After a week spent in studying the fauna of Coz- 

 umel Island, off the east coast of Yucatan, the Al- 

 batross, on the 29th, visited the south-west end of 

 the island ; and, while the gunning and seining parties 

 went ashore, the ship stood off shore, and took two 

 hauls each with the trawl and with tangles in from 137 

 to 231 fathoms. The tangles brought up many forms 

 new to the party, but the trawls were not successful. 

 Having picked up the shore parties, the ship stood 

 away for the Campeache Banks, and made seven 

 hauls with the beam-trawl, getting many forms new 

 to those on board, besides using the tangles and 

 hand-lines. It had been intended to remain here for 

 several days ; but the occurrence of a case of typhoid- 

 fever on board made it desirable to get the sick man 

 into hospital as soon as possible, and Pensacola was 

 headed for as the nearest. There coal was taken 

 aboard, the sick man landed, and the ship sailed 

 again, Feb. 5, to explore the banks off Cape San Bias. 

 On the way out from Pensacola, the three-masted 

 schooner, Fanny Whitman, of Rockland, Me., was dis- 

 covered ashore in a dangerous position, with distress- 

 signals flying. She was towed off and set afloat; and 

 on the 7th, fishing-lines, tangles, and trawls were 

 put over on the banks (27 fathoms) with satisfactory 

 results. Red groupers were found with ovaries dis- 

 tended, but none fully ripe. Returning to Pensacola 

 on the 9th, the ship sailed again for New Orleans 

 on the 10th, taking soundings every five miles from 

 latitude 29° 27' north, longitude 87° 44' west, in a 

 south-south-west direction, to latitude 25° 54' north, 

 longitude 88° 2' west (698 fathoms), and running 

 other lines in various directions, east and west, with- 

 out finding any bank or shoal, and generally confirm- 



ing the soundings of the coast-survey chart. Three 

 hauls of the beam-trawl, bringing up many specimens 

 unknown to those on board, were made about latitude 

 29° 10' north, longitude 88° 15' west. This locality 

 was found to be so promising, that it will be revisited 

 hereafter. 



After running another line of soundings in the 

 direction of New Orleans, the Albatross came to 

 anchor off Algiers on the morning of the 13th of 

 February. 



TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION IN 

 AMERICA. 



Royal commissioners were appointed in England 

 on Aug. 25, 1882, " to inquire into the instruction of 

 the industrial classes of certain foreign countries in 

 technical and other subjects," and "into the influ- 

 ence of such instruction on manufacturing and other 

 industries at home and abroad." A thin octavo 

 report issued in 1882, and a very voluminous report 

 issued in 1884, contain the results of the investiga- 

 tions of the commission. In vol. ii. of the second 

 report is contained the report on technical education 

 in Canada and the United States, compiled by Mr. 

 William Mather of Salford, Eng., a well-known manu- 

 facturer, who has indicated his enthusiasm for techni- 

 cal instruction by the establishment of a well-equipped 

 school for apprentices employed at his works. 



Mr. Mather arrived in New York on May 23, 1883, 

 and, after a six-months' tour through the states and 

 the British possessions, returned to England on Nov. 

 1, in the same year. Special inquiries were made by 

 him upon the subject of technical and industrial 

 education in twenty-two different cities, including 

 San Francisco, Richmond, and the most important 

 intervening cities. Not less than one hundred edu- 

 cational institutions and manufacturing establish- 

 ments were visited, but reports were made only 

 upon the typical institutions visited. Mr. Mather 

 has divided the results of his inquiries into four 

 parts : — 



1°. A general view of the public schools in cities 

 and counties, and a description of the scientific train- 

 ing in the colleges and universities in the various 

 states. 



2°. The technical, industrial, and manual train- 

 ing-schools and art-schools. 



3°. The effect of these institutions on the indus- 

 tries of the country, through the intelligence of the 

 proprietors, foremen, and work-people. 



4°. The influences and institutions, other than 

 schools, tending to the advancement and improve- 

 ment of the industrial population. 



There is also an appendix to the report, containing 

 statistical information, letters from prominent edu- 

 cators, and abstracts of methods of instruction in 

 different places. 



Second report of the royal commissioners on technical in- 

 struction. Vol. ii. No. 2. Report on technical education in the 

 United States of America and Canada. By William Mather. 

 London, Eyre & Spottiswoode , 18S4. 



