156 



others, and addressed to the Secretarj to the Meteorological 

 Commission. The second set of bottk^s were set adrift from the 

 Government vessel at the various places at which it happened to 

 be while engaged in marine investigations. 



Many more bottles than those here recorded have now been 

 returned, but for the sake of clearness the results of those set 

 off between May, 1899, when the work began, and May, 1901, 

 and received up to this date,* are here recorded in the form of 

 a preliminary report. 



It is not intended, therefore, even if this were at the present 

 stage advisable, to do little more than record the results, and 

 bring them together in a form which can readily be compre- 

 hended. 



The accompan3nng tables and chart show details as to the 

 time, localities, etc., in connection with the bottles which were 

 recovered. 



The interval between the casting adrift and landing of the 

 bottle is, of course, not indicated by the difference between the 

 dates, nor the number of miles drifted by the distance between 

 the localities. The distance drifted, therefore, is taken to be 

 approximately the shortest, and may be considered as the mini- 

 mum ; the time is necessarily the maximum (in one case where 

 the bottle was found at sea, the actual time), and consequently 

 the rate of speed given in the last column is the minimum. 



The direction and force of wind when the bottles were east 

 adrift is also given. 



A few of the most striking courses taken by the bottles may 

 be noted. We find in the region \vest of the meridian of Cape 

 Point evidence of a current going northwards, with an inset 

 towards the coast in the neighbourhood of Saldanha Bay, the 

 latter fact being of special significance in connection with the 

 weD-known dangerous character of this region for navigation. 

 The existence of this current is w^ell known to navigators, and 

 is well marked, (^specially during south-east Avinds. Another 

 fact, which does not seem to so well established, however, is 

 perhaps indicated by the course of bottles Nos. 150, 149, 491, 

 and 859. These point to the existence of a cross current 

 towards Kobben Island. The recent disaster to one of the mail 

 boats, the " Tantallon C'astle," while in a fog, and steering a 

 course calculated to carry her past liobben Island on the west 

 side, would apparently be explained by such an inset cuj'rent 

 towards the land. The courses of these bottles seem to indicate 

 a fact well worthy of a fuller investigation from its purely 

 practical aspect. 



Bottle No. 29G is one of the most interesting. It was set off 

 on the 11th June, 1900, 26| miles west of Cape Point during a 



*lfith December. 1901. 



