CHAP. 11.] THE CRUISE OF THE ‘ LIGHTNING’ La 
needed, and restoring as far as possible the lost 
dredging gear, the ‘ Lightning’ once more steamed 
out of Stornoway Harbour on the 14th of September. 
After a fine run of 140 miles in a north-westerly 
direction from the Butt of the Lews, a sounding was 
taken on the morning of September 15th, in lat. 
59° 59’, long. 9°15’, with a bettom of Atlantic ooze, 
at a depth of 650 fathoms (Station 14). Still running 
north-westward sixty miles further, another sound- 
ing was taken on the 18th, at 570 fathoms, when the 
scoop of the sounding instrument brought up scarcely 
anything but entire Globigerine, like the finest sago. 
Fifty miles further, in the same direction, bottom 
was found at 650 fathoms; but on this occasion 
the sounding lead and three thermometers were un- 
fortunately lost in hauling up, so that the tempera- 
ture was not ascertained. <A haul of the dredge was 
taken, however, at this great depth, 120 fathoms 
deeper than at any of the previous stations, perfectly 
successfully, the dredge bringing up 23 ewt. of very 
viscid greyish white mud. The mud was everywhere 
traversed by the long glassy root-fibres of anchoring 
sponges, and about 50 fathoms from the dredge there 
were two white tufts of such fibres sticking to the 
rope, no doubt pulled off the ground, as they en- 
tangled in their meshes some ophiurids, some small 
crustaceans, and one or two tube-forming annelids. 
In the mud was a remarkable sea-pen, which Pro- 
fessor Kolliker, who has undertaken the description 
of such things procured in our several expeditions, 
refers to a new genus under the name of Bathy.- 
ptilum carpentert, and some large foraminifera. 
Dr. Carpenter now stood due north, wishing to get 
