LOG OF THE ARCTURUS 391 



4 Valenciennelus 

 3 Argyropelecus 



1 large red shrimp with antennae 145 mm. long, tip luminous 



2 small red shrimps 



6 pale grey shrimps, with slight pinkish tinge 

 Many Sagittae 



These fish were less distorted than any we have caught before. 

 Noon position; Lat. 23° 42' N; Long. 55° 09' W. 



March 8th. Sunny, warm day till about two p. m., then cloudy, 

 wind and rain. No trawling or dredging. Worked on yesterday's 

 specimens. A surface net in the evening got two specimens of the 

 blackbeard fish, one of them still alive, and a transparent flounder 

 (Bothus atlanticus) with the eyes symmetrical. 



Noon position; Lat. 22° 23' N; Long. 57° 16' W. 



March 9th. On Echo Bank this morning, sounded in 2000 fathoms, 

 which is much more shallow than the general depths given here- 

 abouts. No hint of the 34-fathom depth marked P.D. on charts, 

 though first officer took many soundings with the 100-fathom ship's 

 line. Put over fifty-foot otter trawl to 250 fathoms and towed it 

 for three hours. Brought it in last few yards with donkey-engine 

 and the whole net ripped off just as it came alongside. Put another 

 one over at once and towed two hours. Got little new and not many 

 specimens we desire. Sea rose and tremendous swells came down from 

 the north. At 11 p. m. shaft of circulation pump broke, so engines 

 stopped and wallowing began. 



March 10th. No one slept last night. We drifted, rolling to the 

 bulwarks until 5 a. m., to the music of breaking dishes and hammering 

 from the engine-room. Finally by attaching fire-pump we got under 

 way and made slow progress. Pale wan faces at breakfast table, 

 after a night of defying gravity to stay in bunks. No work possible 

 all day. Only place to sit is flat on the deck and even then we skate 

 to and fro. At luncheon and dinner the Arcturus had to be headed 

 north to enable us to get food into our mouths. 



Noon position; Lat. 21° 12' N; Long. 68° 53' W. 



March 11th. Like yesterday. Got five knots out of the engines 

 and rolled unceasingly. Brilliant day. Flyingfish seen all day and 

 considerable weed, some of a new species, with very numerous berries 

 packed with the leaves on very long straight stems. Some work 

 done, by means of sitting on the deck, with feet and back braced, 

 and balancing typewriter, books or canvas on the knees. When 

 over or near Echo Bank, put tow-nets astern and caught two young 

 vertical flounders, a puffer and a young flyingfish, also several 

 megalops of non-swimming crabs. This hints at proximity of land, 

 nearer than two or three miles down. Everyone tired out with the 

 strain of constantly holding on. 



Noon position; Lat. 20° 10' N; Long. 60° 26' W. 



