[9] WORK OF STEAMER ALBATROSS. 11 



on which were hoisted the Venezuelan colors. Several men were seen 

 about the buildings, but there were no boats visible, and they did not 

 seem to expect us to attempt a landing. These men are left here during 

 the winter to collect guano, which is shipped in the summer months 

 when the trades are light and the sea smooth. Several huge piles of 

 the fertilizer were seen near the beach ready for shipment. 



The anchorage is on a white sand and coral spit running off from the 

 SW. end of the island, and can be seen at a distance of two miles from 

 a ship's deck, showing white water. Th(^bottom can be seen distinctly 

 iu 15 fathoms IJ miles from land. We found 355 fathoms V west of 

 the island, and after passing the anchorage laid a course S. by E. ^ E. 

 (mag.), sounding every 5'. At 2.45 p. m. we put the trawl over in 083 

 fathoms, latitude 15° 24' 40" N., longitude 63° 31' 30" W. At 5 p. 

 m. the trawl was landed on deck, after a very successful haul, contain- 

 ing numerous specimens of rare corals, fish, sponges, «S:c. The boat- 

 dredge umially attached to the tail of the trawl came up full of the ooze 

 of the sea-bottom, which proved to be particularly rich iu foraminifera, 

 principally globigerina. 



After the trawl was up we resumed our course, sounding at intervals 

 of 25', getting from 684 to 871 fathoms, until at 9.16 a. m. on the 28th, 

 after putting the trawl over in 690 fathoms, latitude 13° 32' 40" N., 

 longitude 62° 54' 00" W., we hove it up and found it had not reached 

 the bottom. A cast of the lead showed that we had deepened the water 

 125 fathoms. 



Our soundings developed comparatively shoal water south of Aves 

 Island, but did not determine whether we were traversing the crest of 

 a ridge or a plateau. The sudden increase in depth on our easterly 

 coarse demonstrated that we were near the eastern slope, and to deter- 

 mine its angle we ran 20' SE. f E. (mag,), sounding every 10', the dei)tli 

 increasing from 815 fathoms at the point of departure to 1,028 fathoms 

 at 10' and to 1,680 at 20'. Soundings on the chart in 1,700 fathoms to 

 the eastward of our position showed that we had reached the normal 

 depth between the islands, so we changed the course to SW. ^ W. 

 (mag.), sounding every 10', intersecting our line from Aves Island 25' 

 to the southward of the point at which we left it, but the elevation had 

 terminated. The soundings continued with remarkable regularity from 

 1,634 to 1,642 fathoms for nearly 40', when we changed the course to 

 SE. by S. (mag.), sounding every 25' until the south end of Granada 

 bore E. 35' distant. Here the water began to shoal, and soundings were 

 taken every 5' up the slope, then every 10' to the vicinity of Boca 

 Grande, the entrance to the Gulf of Paria. 



At 1.07 p. m., January 29, latitude 11° 48' 30" :S., longitude 62° 

 17' 30" W., we sounded in 1,140 fathoms, and put the trawl over, veer- 

 ing to 1,800 fathoms on the dredge-rope. It dragged lightly for half an 

 hour and then suddenly fouled, either by coming in contact with some 

 obstruction or burying in the mud. The bridles came up with a por- 



