NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 1 19 



ideal weather for our work. Only one gale threatened us during 

 this time, but it was so short a blow that the sea had no time to 

 become rough. Little by little we expanded our program of 

 studies. As each man developed his technique he found himself 

 able to undertake new details. Parkinson and Torreson started 

 weekly diurnal-variation observations in atmospheric electricity. 

 This required continuous readings of the instruments for 24-hour 

 runs. The fine weather simplified the navigation work, and Scott 

 found time to take over Captain Ault's place at the collimating- 

 compass, while Paul or Jones replaced Scott as recorder. The 

 number of echo-soundings was increased, since Soule was now able 

 to complete in one day the determination of the salinity of the 

 water-samples. Paul began a series of evaporation measurements. 

 All along the line there was a notable improvement in the scien- 

 tific work. 



On August 12 we took water samples and temperatures to a 

 depth of 5600 meters, or about three and a half miles. There 

 was a hot bearing on the winch, due to the great weight of the 

 wire and bottles, and we were hove-to for almost five hours. It 

 was apparent that a different type of bearing must be installed 

 at our next dry-docking. The plankton-pump was up to its usual 

 bag of tricks, and required encouragement from time to time. 

 However, it seldom failed if given a second chance. 



On the same day we entered the Sargasso Sea. F'or about a 

 week the vessel passed through patches of the characteristic 

 weed of the region. Paul made daily weed-counts, and collected 

 specimens. Many of these clumps sheltered small fish, crusta- 

 ceans, and egg-clusters; so the boom-walk was lowered from the 

 side of the ship to make collection easier. Any romantic ideas 

 of ours, about the Sargasso Sea, were dispelled. We saw very 

 few floating logs, and not a single derelict, although we passed 

 through the very heart of the region. The weed was at no time 

 very thick, and was usually a few feet below the surface. Fanci- 

 ful yarns are told of sailing-vessels trapped here by immense 

 accumulations of debris. 



By the 20th we had entered a region of sudden squalls and elec- 

 trical storms. The sea became choppy, due to the variable winds. 



