130 



THE ATLANTIC. 



[chap. III. 



the sliip, and without the slightest ap- 

 parent effort. I liave often watched 

 these glorious birds for hours from 

 the bi'idge, and, notwithstanding all 

 we know, or think we know, about 

 the mechanics of flight, to the last I 

 felt inclined to protest that for so 

 heavy a bird to support itself motion- 

 less in the air, and perform its vigor- 

 ous evolutions without a perceptible 

 movement of the wings, was simply 

 impossible by any mechanical means 

 of which we have the least conception. 

 We sounded on the 3d in 2350 

 fathoms with a bottom of red mud, 

 still due apparently in a great de- 

 gree to tlie South American rivers, 

 and a bottom temperature of 0°'8 C. 

 The trawl was lowered, and on heav- 

 ing in, it came u]3 apparently with a 

 heavy weight, the accumulators being 

 stretched to the utmost. It was a 

 long and weary wind -in, on account 

 of the continued strain. At length 

 it came close to the surface, and we 

 could see the distended net through 

 the water; when, just as it was leav- 

 ing the water, and so greatly increas- 

 ing its weight, the swivel between the 

 dredge-rope and the chain gave way, 

 and the trawl with its unknown bur- 

 den quietly sunk out of sight. It w^as 

 a cruel disappointment. Every one 

 was on the bridge, and curiosity was 



