262 REPOET OF COJMillSSIOXEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



much deeper tbau we liad expected to find it so far north, namely, be- 

 tween 400 and 500 fathoms. A dredging undertaken at the same place 

 gave comparatively little retiu-n, the bed of the sea being so soft that 

 the mouth of the dredge undoubtedly became filled up too soon with 

 the tough clay, without being able to catch anything after being so filled. 



We now bent our course to the south, then again to the west, in order 

 to find the depth of 1,000 fathoms. This having been accomplished, we 

 turned our prow toward il^orway, making soundings at suitable intervals, 

 in order to determine the ascent at this place from the deep. The ascent 

 was here much more abrupt than further north, it being between 500 

 and: 300 fathoms, which seems to indicate the existence of a real preci- 

 pice between Beeren Island and Norway. We could not, however, de- 

 vote much time now to establishing the details in regard to this preci- 

 pice, our coal and water supply diminishing to an alarming extent, and 

 we having still to examine the fauna at this point. Two hauls with 

 the beam-trawl at different depths gave exceedingly interesting zoolog- 

 ical results. In the first haul, which was made at a depth of 447 fathoms, 

 with a temperature at the bottom of 33.08° Fahr. we got, among other 

 things, a specimen of a species of halibut {Hlppoglossus iriuguis) more 

 than a foot long. This species of halibut is not known on our coasts, 

 and belongs to the far north. In the second haul, which was made in 

 a depth of 190 fathoms, we also secured some fish of the Cotfoid family, 

 among which there apparently was a new variety, and besides we got 

 an extraordinary amount of lower animals, which gave to us, as zoolo- 

 gists, abundance of work, even long after we arrived at Hammerfest. 



W^e anchored in the harbor of this town on Monday noon, Julj' 8, upon 

 the whole well satisfied with the results of our first cruise into the Polar 

 Sea, and with the brightest expectations in regard to the two cruises 

 yet to be made before the exijedition is completed. 



11. 



HA]^OIEE^EST, July 27, 1878. 



Mr. Editor : We are again lying here well moored in Hammerfest's 

 Harbor, after having once more plowed the waves of the Polar Sea, and 

 I shall avail myself of the opi^ortunity, while we are resting after our 

 work done, of sending you some brief account of our last oruise, con- 

 tinuing my story where I left ofi" in my previous letter. 



After stoi>ping about four days in Hammerfest, which v.-as necessarj' 

 for taknig on board coal and other prerequisites, we Aveighed anchor on 

 the morning of the 13th of July, and proceeded northward through the 

 South Island Sound in beautiful, calm sunshine. On the so-called Bond 

 Island Ridge, one of the most celebrated fisliing-grounds in this locality, 

 we stopped for a short time, whereupon our fishing-tackle was brought 

 out. In a short time we hauled up several fine-looking codfish, which 



