[19] WORK OF STEArJER ALCATROSS. 21 



about 5' to Ihe northward and eastw.nd during the haul, and, starting- 

 from that point, ran a line directly to Moraut Cays, E8E. h E. (mag.) 

 42', sounding at short intervals. At 11.45 a. m., March J 2, we anchored 

 in 4 fathoms under the lee of Northeast Cay, and sent the whale-boat with 

 the naturalists, in charge of Lieutenant May, with instructions to land if 

 it could be done without risk, otherwise to return to the ship. 



The trades were blowing fresh and a heavy swell set around the ends 

 of the cay, causing a break on the beach that made lauding impracti- 

 cable without danger of staving the boat on the coral lumps. The 

 temptation to land on this (to the naturalists) virgin soil was very 

 great, but Lieutenant May, having in mind the safety of the boat, very 

 wisely returned. Getting under way we ran a line of soundings in 

 various directions from the cays to the shoal which we had examined 

 on the 29th of February, and, although the sea was too rough to permit 

 a more extended reconnaissance, we developed the fact that the bank 

 referred to is an extension of Morant Cays. 



At 8.35 p. m. we turned our head to the southward and ran a line S. 

 i by E. about 140' to a group of negative soundings, in the midst of 

 which we cast the trawl in 2,295 fathoms, latitude 15° 18' 30" N., 

 h longitude 75° 22' 30' W., then continued the line about SSE. .J E. (mag.) 

 te in the direction of Santa Mauta. 



At 9.41 a. ui., March 15, we sounded in 2,057 fiithoms, on the position 

 assigned a doubtful shoal, H. O. chart No. 30, in latitude 12° 11' 30" K, 

 { longitude 74° 27' 30" W., and, it is needless to say, failed to discover 

 j any indications of shoal Avater. 



We then ran a line S. ^ E. (mag.) 00', passing about 12' to the west- 



! ward of Santa Marta light-house, sounding at frequent intervals as we 



I approached the coast, then stood off NW. f W. (mag.) 35', sounding 



at intervals of 15', then S. ^ W. for the mouth of the Magdalena Eiver 



\ and Savanilla, anchoring off the latter place at 8.28 a. m., March IG. 



We had strong winds to moderate gales after leaving Morant Cays, 



from E. to ENE. in the northern Caribbean, and NE. as we approached 



the Colombian coast. The heavy winds were accompanied by rough 



seas, making the work of sounding an exceedingly critical operation. 



The sounding-wire parted several times during the night of the 11th 



and morning of the 12th in a most unaccountable manner, losing either 



lead or sounding-rod and a thermometer with more or less wire each 



time. We were inclined to blame the splices at first, but soon found 



that we must look further for the cause. In the meantime we changed 



I reels, leaving the solution of the mystery until the following day, when, 



w after reeling the wire off, the drum was found to be collapsed. The 



: metal was neither broken nor cracked, but the center simply settled 



I down on the bolts, the sides retaining their form. There would have 



I been little or no harm arising from this had not the edges of the drum 



■ drawn away from the sides, leaving sufficient space for a turn or two 



I of wire, which became so firmly fixed, when reeling in, that it would 



