DOWN CHANNEL 97 



As might be supposed, the truth as usual lay about 

 half-way between these two extremes. The ship was no 

 racer, nor was she an absolute log. We ran before the 

 north-east wind towards the English Channel at a speed 

 of about seven knots, and with that we were satisfied 

 for the time being. The important question for us was 

 whether we should keep the favourable wind till we 

 were well through the Straits of Dover, and, preferably, 

 a good way down Channel. Our engine power was far 

 too limited to make it of any use trying to go against 

 the wind, and we should have been obliged in that case 

 to have recourse to the sailing-ship's method beating. 

 Tacking in the English Channel the busiest part of 

 the world's seas is in itself no very pleasant work; for 

 us it would be so much the worse, as it would greatly 

 encroach on the time that could be devoted to oceano- 

 graphical investigations. But the east wind held with 

 praiseworthy steadiness. In the course of a few days 

 we were through the Channel, and about a week after 

 leaving Norway we were able to take the first oceano- 

 graphical station at the point arranged according to the 

 plan. Hitherto everything had gone as smoothly as we 

 could wish, but now, for a change, difficulties began 

 to appear, first in the form of unfavourable weather. 

 When the north-wester begins to blow in the North 

 Atlantic, it is generally a good while before it drops 

 again, and this time it did not belie its reputation. 

 Far from getting to the westward, we were threatened 



VOL. I. 7 



