The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-27
CRUISE OF THE ALBATROSS.
COVERS THOUSANDS OF MILES OVER
THE PACIFIC WATERS.
Leaving San Francisco in August.
1899. the Ffsh Commission steam
er Has since visited the Islands
of Southern and Northern seas.


kARTA BAY, Prince OF Wales Island
Alaska on board United States Fish
Commission Steamer AIbatruss, Sept
2--Your correspondent has just spent
an interesting half hour in conversation
with Mr.. Fl. c. Fassett one of the two
hsh commission officers who make up the
complement Of seventy men on board the
steamer. The Albatross is practically
homeward bound. though she will not get
through her work before the early psrt
OF October. After that she will GO to
Seattle and then on TO San Francisco
to make her final report and await fur
Their orders which latter NAV take her
70 explore the waters surrounding the
Hawaiian islands
The Albatross left San Francisco Aug
ust q, 1888 for cruise in the South seas
and the equatorial Pacific ocean on a
scientific exploring cruise under the d.
rection OF Prof Agassiz OF Harvard
The latter left the ship at Yokohama last
March and returned home. after which
the ship returned to her regular duties
under the United States commission OF
fish and fisheries. and has since then been
acting under instructions from that de-
partment. The officers on board now are:
Commander-J. r. Moser
Lieutensnt-Hugh Rodman.
Ensign-A. J. Hepburn.
Ensign-C. r. Miller
Ensign-C. s. Kempn
Assistant Surgeon-J c. Pryor
Assistant Paymaster-Grey Skipwi.h
Fish commission officers-A. B. Alex
ander and H. C. Fassett
The cruise has been an exceptionally
successful one from a scientific stand
point. and although no information touch
ing results is allowed to be made public
In advance of the final reports Of Prof
Agassiz and the officers OF the ship, II IL
known that much new and important
matter will be given out and new specf-
mems added to the collection already
made relative TO the depth OF the seas
traversed and their wonderfully con-
structed inhabitants.
The itinerary OF the Albatross. ar
lows:
From San Francisco to Nukuhiva. Mar
quesas Islands. a distance of 3lss miles
was covered between August o and Sep
TENDER Is, 1899 The maximum run per
day being 1s3 miles and the minimum i05
Soundings and dredgings were made at
many points.
menced In earnest from the Marquesas
islands to Tahiti. Society islands. via
Northwestern Paumotus, between Sep
TENDER II 10 n. during which e67 miles
were covered.
Through the Paumotu archipelago 2,317
miles were covered between October 5
and November g. which included much
coasting and dredging for specimens.
Society Islands 20 Tongatabu. Tonga
archipelago via Leeward. Society and
Cook groups ard Niue island. formed the
next group coasted. covering distance
OF 1.s34 miles. between November 10 and
%.
Through Tonga archipelago and 10
Suva. FIJI archipelago. some csc miles.
ufar rai In a hafr IA
cember ] and 10 OF the closing year 1899.
The Fiji islands. through the Ellice
and Gilbert chains TO Jaluit and Marshall
archipelago. occupied the attention OF
Prof. Agassiz from December 10. 1899. to
January 9, 1900. and covered distance
of 2.0T7 miles. New Years day was
spent lying 10 and coasting OF the
Apamama Islands.
The time between January II and - Of
the new year was spent through the
Marshall archipelago. during which i.ias
miles were covered.
The last group under Prof. Asassix
was the Marshall islands. through Caro-
line Islands TO Guam. the Ladrone islands,
and on 10 Yokohama. Japan. the distance
covered being 3.tss miles, and that port
being made March Z.
In Japan the Albatross was locked and
refftted needing II badly as the result Of
her nearly 1900 miles Of cruising UP to
that point. Commander Moser then spent
about six weeks investigating the shore
fisheries 81 Japan from scientific stand
point Leaving Japan June IL the ship
ran up and followed along the Kuril
chain OF islands, then went to Petropaul-
ski. In Kamschatka They Investigated
the fisheries Of that immediate region
and then ran line ~ soundings and
dredgirgs across the Boring sea TO Una
laska. From this latter place they went
TO Bristol bay. In the eastern part OF the
Bertng sea, and investigated the salmon
fisheries Of the great rivers Of that Sec
tion. namely: NushaEak. kvichak Max
mex. Igegak and Urashik. They then re-
turned to Tnalaska where thev coaied
and came on to the eastward looking into
the salmon fisheries Of The Alaska penn-
sula. including the Kodiak island dis
uict. going thence 10 Sitka.
Since leaving Sitka. August a. the AL
hatross has been investigating the Nsh-
cries Of Southeastern Alaska the salmon
receiving the chief attention. although
they are not overlooking the herring ana
haiibut fisheries. as well as all other