100 



THE ATLANTIC. 



[chap. II. 



On the 30tli we sounded iu 2275 fathoms with a bottom tem- 

 perature of -i-0°*9 C, at a distance of 265 miles to the east of 

 Fernando IS^oronha; and on the 31st, at a distance of 132 miles 

 from the island, in 2-175 fathoms, with a bottom temjDerature of 

 + 0°-2 C These were considerably the low^est temperatures 

 which we had met with since the commencement of the voy- 

 age, and at first sight it seemed singular finding them almost 

 directly on the equator. During our outward voyage circum- 

 stances prevented our tracing the source of this unusually cold 

 water, and it was only on our return that we had an opportu- 

 nity of determining that a deep indraught of cold water, pass- 

 ing up a channel roughly parallel with the coast-line of South 

 America, is open without any intervening barrier from the 

 Southern Sea to the equator. 



Early in the morning of the 1st of September the island 

 of Fernando Noronha was in sight, and all forenoon we ap- 

 proached it under steam, sounding at 8 a.m. in lat. 3° 33' S., 

 long. 32° 16' "W., in 2200 fathoms, with a bottom of globigerina 

 ooze, and a bottom temperature of +0°-5 C, the island distant 

 21 miles. We took a series of temperature soundings at every 

 ten fathoms, down to sixty fathoms — 



Surface 25°-6 C. 



10 fathoms 23-9 



20 " 25-6 



30 " 25-3 



40 " 22-9 



50 fathoms 

 60 



75 

 100 



\1°-^ c. 

 15 -0 

 13 -6 

 12 -4 



and at every hundred fathoms to 1500. At midday w^e sounded 

 again about six miles from the island, with a depth of 1010 

 fathoms and a bottom temperature of 2°-8 C, so that Fernando 

 Noronha, like most of the ocean islands, rises abruptly from 

 deep water. 



It was a fresh, bright day, with a pleasant breeze from the 

 south-east. At three o'clock we cast anchor in San Antonio 

 Bay, just opposite the settlement and citadel. From this point 



