64 THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA. [cHAP, 11. 
held together by their connecting ligament. A some- 
what peculiar variety of Hchinus sphera, O. F. MULLER, 
was met with in one of the fjords associated with a 
large form of 2. flemingii, BALL; and what appears to 
be a small form of Cucumaria frondosa, GUNNER, was 
very common in shallow water on the tangles. 
While we were lying in Thorshavn harbour the 
Danish gunboat ‘ Fylla’ and the French steam trans- 
port ‘L’Orient’ came in on their way from Iceland. 
Both of the vessels from the north had come through 
bad weather, and were glad to run into shelter. During 
the stay of the three war-ships the little capital was 
quite gay, and the Governor had abundant opportunity 
of exercising his genial hospitality. On the 26th of 
August, as the barometer rose a little and there 
seemed to be some slight sign of improvement, we 
left Thorshavyn and steamed southward to dredge if 
possible in the deep channel between Fiéroe and Shet- 
land; but the same evening wild weather set in again 
with a strong gale of wind from the north-westward, 
and the barometer down to 29:08. The hook and 
screw-jack fastenings of the main-rigging went one 
after another, and we narrowly escaped losing the 
mast. The gale lasted till the 29th, when there was 
rather better weather; and after lying-to and drifting 
to the north-east for nearly three days, we took a 
sounding in lat. 60° 45’ N., long. 4° 49" W. (Station 6). 
This gave a depth of 510 fathoms and a bottom tem- 
perature of 0° C. On the evening of the 29th and 
on the 380th the weather was sufficiently moderate to 
allow us to work our dredging gear, and the first 
trials were of great interest, as it was our first oppor- 
tunity of making the attempt in so great a depth of 
