CHAP. IV.] ST. THOMAS TO BERMUDAS. 269 
On the following day we sounded in much shallower water 
—2800 fathoms; the bottom was much of the same character : 
and on the 28th in 2960 fathoms, with a like result; but at our 
next sounding in 2850 fathoms, on the 29th, the calcareous ele- 
ment in the mud had almost entirely disappeared ; and the 
contents of the tube seemed to be identical with the red clay 
which occupied so large a part of our first section. 
A temperature sounding was taken at this station at every 
100 fathoms from the surface to 1500 (curve No. 28, Fig. 71); 
and in the afternoon the operation was repeated at intervals of 
50 fathoms, with the result of verifying the temperatures taken 
earlier in the day, which seemed to indicate the presence of a 
mass of water nearly 200 fathoms thick, at a temperature ran- 
ging from 16° C. to 18° C., bringing down the isothermal line 
of 16° C. on Plate IX. from the 200 to the 300 fathom line, and 
producing a hump on the curve deduced from the sounding 
somewhat resembling that which we had traced along the west 
coasts of Europe. 
On Monday, the 31st, the weather still continuing very 
pleasant, with a light south-easterly wind, we sounded and 
dredged in 2700 fathoms. The dredge brought up a quantity 
of reddish-gray mud of the usual character. Carbonate of 
lime was in some quantity, and the clay contained a number 
of the fresh shells of calcareous miliolines. The only higher 
animal sifted out was a scarlet caridid shrimp. A serial sound- 
ing (curve No. 29, Fig. 71) gave a still more decided indication 
of a stratum of warm water between the 1 and 300 fathom lines. 
SUMMACEH cist eyes sic.ers snes EEC, SO00ptathomsssoe seo moles 
HOOBfathomsss... 5 sce Lei 1000 le sete Pere tas Su4! 
200 . SMe es, osvaes 17 0 1100 ae ot As otUsts erento pall 
300 oe cu dicuceniowe aed 1200 a GianSisieisi.sel sietenehe) 
400 rs Po eerste LOG 1300 oe SRC EOE he 2 oe. 
500 - Re clere are | 10) 28 1400 Hf Loi G, sone. Gene aaah 
600 ue hoes oo = 1500 we ROC IOI Cees 
700 SS REE ae Bottoms: S8%. cer aac ae lao 
800 SOP. Gee pias ae eh 4:1 
I.—18 
