8 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION, 
2. PLANS AND NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE. 
Plans . — The steamer Albatross was dispatched to the Pacific coast for the pur- 
pose of iuvestigatiug the oceau fishing grounds adjacent to the territory of the United 
States, and with a view to furnishing accurate information respecting their positions, 
characteristics, and resources, to the American fishermen. Barring the fact that they 
are much less resorted to at present than are the corresponding grounds upon the 
Atlantic coast, there was greater need of subjecting them to a careful survey, as even 
their outlines and surface contours had never been determined, while the same features 
of the eastern grounds have been known to a large extent for many years. The 
steamer Albatross is especially adapted for the different branches of this class of work, 
having all the most approved appliances for sounding, dredging, and fishing, many of 
which have originated or been perfected in the service of the Fish Commission. She 
was commanded by Lieut. Commander Z. L. Tanner, U. S. Navy, who had been in 
charge of all of her operations on the Atlantic coast. Mr. Charles H. Townsend, who 
had had several years’ experience in Alaska, acted as naturalist, while fishery matters 
were attended to by Mr. A. B. Alexander, formerly of the Gloucester (Mass.) fishing 
fleet. 
Considering that the season was well advanced before it was possible to begin 
active work, it was decided to send the Albatross directly to Alaska, where good 
weather for her operations could not be expected to continue beyond the summer 
months, after which she would return to the coasts of Washington Territory, Oregon, 
and California. The region selected for exploration was to the south and southeast 
of the Aliaska Peninsula and the easternmost of the Aleutian Islands, comprising the 
entire width- of the submerged continental plateau between the island of Unalashka 
and the longitude of Prince William’s Sound, as the principal known fishing banks 
were contained in this area. Lines oi‘ soundings were to be run over as large a part 
of the region as possible, with the object of locating all of the elevations of the bottom 
which might projierly be designated as banks. The latter, wherever discovered, were 
to be carefully sounded over in order to determine their extent, outline, and surface 
contour, and the character of the bottom. The richness of the bottom as depend- 
ent upon the abundance of animal life, indicating good feeding grounds, and the 
actual presence, abundance, and size of edible fishes, especially the cod, were to be 
ascertained by frequent dredgings and by the use of hand lines and trawl lines. 
Attention was also to bejiaid to the surface-schooling fishes, to the important question 
of the bait supply, to the history and present condition of existing fisheries, and to all 
other matters bearing uiion these subjects. 
When the weather became unfavorable for continuing the work in the Alaskan 
region, the steamer was to return south, and, after refitting at Seattle, begin upon the 
same basis the exploration of the coasts of Washington Territory and Oregon. 
Narrative . — The steamer Albatross left San Francisco, Cal., for Alaska July 4, 1888, 
at 9.30 a. m. Thirty live lobsters, being part of a shipment sent to California from the 
New England coast in June, were taken on board and carried as far as Trinidad Head 
light-house, California, in about latitude 41° N., where they were planted in a favor- 
ble locality which had been recommended by Prof. George Davidson. Being detained 
by head winds on the way to the coaling station at Departure Bay, Vancouver Island, 
