FISHERY INVESTIGATIONS OF THE STEAMER ALBATROSS. 
131 
September, after which the survey was carried down the outer coast from Barclay 
Sound, Vancouver Island, and the halibut bank off Cape Flattery, to the vicinity of 
Tillamook Rock, just south of the Columbia River. The ship reached San Francisco 
from this Cruise on October 21. 
After refitting at this place, the months of January and February, 1889, were 
spent on the coast of California between Point Conception and the Mexican boundary 
line, the investigations being carried seaward to include all of the outlying islands, 
as well as Cortes and Tanner banks, the latter bank having been discovered by the 
Albatross during this trip. A line of hydrographic stations was then run to Guade- 
loupe Island, the Alijos Rocks, and the Revillagigedo Islands, after which a series of 
examinations was conducted through the Gulf of California as far as the mouth of the 
Colorado River at its upper end. This last inquiry was undertaken for the purpose 
of ascertaining the relations of the Colorado River to the waters of the Gulf, and 
observations were also made upon the oyster deposits of the region, which, it was 
conjectured, might afford a source of seed in the event of oyster-cultural operations 
being started in southern California. Starting from La Paz on April 7, several stops 
were made along the outer coast of Lower California, the Albatross returning to San 
Francisco on the 27th of the same month, but leaving there again on May 21 to 
resume the work off Washington and Oregon, which was continued until July 1, 1889. 
From July 8 until July 28, 1889, the ship was used by the IT. S. Senate Committee 
on Indian Affairs for the purpose of visiting the Indian settlements in southeastern 
Alaska. Subsequently the investigations were again taken up on the coast of Oregon 
and were carried southward, terminating October 14 at Cape Mendocino, California. 
The coast of California, between Point Arena and the Santa Barbara Islands, was 
examined during March and April, 1890, and on May 5 following the Albatross left San 
Francisco for Alaska, where the summer was occupied in developing the fishing-grounds 
in the southeastern part of Bering Sea, and determining the western extension of the 
continental platform on which the Pribilof Islands are located. The hydrographic 
results obtained on this cruise were of more than usual interest. During the trip 
south in the fall, some additional observations were made on the fishing-banks off the 
southern side of the Alaska Peninsula, a line of deep-sea soundings was run in the 
direction of the Queen Charlotte Islands, and the survey of the continental platform 
was completed from Cape Mendocino to Point Arena, California. 
On January 30, 1891, the Albatross sailed from San Francisco on a special expedi- 
tion, authorized by the President of the United States, to investigate the hydrographic 
and biological features over an extensive area off the western coast of Mexico, Central 
and South America, between Lower California and the latitude of the Galapagos 
Islands. Mr. Alexander Agassiz, director of the Museum of Comparative Zoology of 
Harvard University, was in charge of the scientific work, which yielded results of 
great importance. The cruise terminated the last of April. 
During the summer of 1891, the Albatross was employed to convey the United 
States seal commissioners, Dr. T. C. Mendenhall and Dr. C. Hart Merriam, to Bering 
Sea. During the following fall and winter she was engaged in surveying forthe cable 
route between California and the Hawaiian Islands, under the direction of the Secre- 
tary of the Navy. Again during the late spring and summer of 1892 she was detailed 
to participate in the sealing investigations in the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea, 
taking an active part in the extensive inquiries directed from the State Department. 
