46 Dr Davy's Voyage from England to Barbadoes. 



vessel, and also of the temperature, taken chiefly at 8 A.M., 

 are given in the following table : — 



The observations on the temperature of the sea were, I be- 

 lieve, pretty accurate ; but I am not sure of their perfect accu- 

 racy, as they were made on water pumped into a bucket in the 

 engine-room, (the first bucket or two rejected), and with a 

 thermometer belonging to the engineer, the scale of which had 

 not been compared with a standard one. 



The very slight differences of the specific gravity of the 

 surface water of the greater part of the ocean traversed, ex- 

 tending to 36° of latitude, is a circumstance worthy of notice ; 

 and farther, that the slight variations observed, were chiefly 

 at no great distances from land, and on entering a part of the 

 ocean subject at this season of the year to heavy rains ; thus, 

 in accordance with the latter remark, the water taken up at noon 

 on the 24th, was a little lighter than the samples of many preced- 

 ing days; heavy rain fell the preceding night ; and the water taken 

 up daily till we reached Barbadoes, was still a little lighter. 



* Sun's altitude 89^-40. t Sea slightly greenish, not of the pure 



blue of mid ocean ; a bank extends above 300 miles from Barbadoes. 



