26 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [24J 



sounding at vaiying intervals, tlie water shoaling gradually to 511 

 fathoms 15 miles from the eastern edge of a bank lying between Thun- 

 der Knoll and Rosalind Bank. We crossed the bank before mentioned 

 in from 19 to 24 fathoms, coral, and laid a course NW. ^ W. (mag.), for 

 a vigia, marked on H. O. chart No. 394 in latitude 18° 30' 00" N., longi- 

 tude 83° IG' 00" W., sounding at intervals as usual. 



The trawl was lowered at 1.22 p. m. in G53 fathoms, yellow ooze, lat- 

 itude 150 28' 30" K, longitude 80° 36' 00" W. Serial temperatures and 

 water specimens were taken to 500 fathoms. A few deep-sea fish and 

 small crustaceans were all that were brought up, the bottom being 

 almost destitute of marine life. 



Several boobies (Sula) were flying around the ship, and finally one of 

 them alighted on the forecastle, when it was caught by one of the men, 

 who, after am using himself and shipmates awhile, tossed it overboard, ex- 

 pecting it would take itself off as quickly as possible; but, to our surprise, 

 it returned immediately, alighting on the rail where nearly every man of 

 the crew had congregated to watch its performance. It did not seem 

 to be distressed in any way, and went deliberately to work rearrang- 

 ing its i^lumage, which had been somewhat ruffled by handling, calmly 

 surveying the noisy crowd of men gathered around it. They tried to 

 feed it, ofitering everything that could be found, but nothing seemed to 

 suit its taste. It would not submit quietly to being handled, but made 

 no attempt to fly away, and, although tossed overboard six times during 

 the afternoon, it returned as often, invariably alighting in the same place 

 among the men, where it finally took up its quarters for the night, re- 

 maining till C o'clock the following morning, when it left without cere- 

 mony and was not seen again. I relate this incident, as it is the first 

 instance of the kind in my experience at sea. 



The lino of soundings was continued during the 11th, the depth in- 

 creasing gradually to 920 fathoms 75 miles from Thunder Knoll, then 

 dropped off to 3,109 fathoms at 105 miles. This was the greatest depth 

 found in the Caribbean, and the sounding was made under adverse cir- 

 cumstances. On the first trial, the stray-line parted after something 

 over 200 fathoms had run out, the sounding-rod, water-bottle, and shot 

 being lost. It is difiicult to explain this accident unless we lay it to a 

 shark or some other fish, as the strain on it at the time did not equal 

 one-tenth of its tensile strength. On the second attempt, all the wire 

 was run oft' the reel without reaching bottom and the shot had to be 

 reeled in ; more wire was added, and finally the sounding was taken. 

 The bottom was a light yellow ooze, with only a trace of foraminifera, 

 resembling in this feature the bottom at our greatest depth near the 

 breakers reported by H. D. M. S. Ancou. 



The currents, which had been light since leaving Old Providence, 

 became strong and irregular. At 5.25 on the morning of the 12th we 

 sounded in 2,829 fathoms on the position assigned to the vigia above- 

 mentioned, which is GG miles from the deep sounding of the i)revious 



