216 THE ATLANTIC. [chap. iv. 



serted, some shepherds in the employment of the Falkhind Isl- 

 ands Company having occupied the old Government buildings. 

 We returned to Stanley on the 4th, and on the 6th we sailed 

 for Montevideo, bidding a final farewell to the Falklands, which 

 I am sure we shall always remember with pleasure, if not on 

 their own acconnt, on that of the kindness and hospitality 

 which we met with during our stay. 



On the 8th we sounded about 200 miles to the north-east of 

 Stanley, in a depth of 1035 fathoms. The sounding-machine 

 brought up no sample of the bottom, but a tow-net attached to 

 the dredge-rope at the weight contained a little gravel and one 

 or two small organisms. The bottom temperature was 1°'7 C. 

 The trawl was lowered, but it was unfortunately carried away, 

 after the weights, which were 300 fathoms in advance of the 

 trawl, had been brought on board. The rope was much chafed, 

 as if it had been dragged against sharp rocks. The following 

 day was fine, with light, uncertain winds. On the 10th it was 

 blowing half a gale, and the sea was running too high for 

 sounding operations. On the 11th the weather was fine, the 

 wind becoming more moderate toward noon. At 10 a.m. we 

 sounded and put down the trawl in 2040 fathoms, with a bot- 

 tom of bluish mud containing many GlobigerincB, and a bottom 

 temperature of -f- 0° 3 C. The position of the sounding was lat. 

 42° 32' S., long. 56° 27' W., about 200 miles to the eastward of 

 Valdes Peninsula. Temperature soundings were taken at this 

 station down to 1500 fathoms. This sounding gives a singu- 

 larly rapid fall from 14° -2 C. on the surface to 2° C. at 125 

 fathoms ; the edge of the antarctic indraught appeared to be 

 pushed up against the American shore by the western border 

 of the southern branch of the reflux of the equatorial current, 

 just as the Labrador current is banked up by its northern 

 branch ; the result being no doubt increased in both cases by 

 the flinging-up of the polar water against the western land-bar- 

 rier on account of its low initial velocity.. The trawl yielded 



