44 KEPORT OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [42] 



At 7 a. m. the following morning we sounded in 2,574 fathoms, latitude 

 360 16' 30" X., longitude 68° 21' 00" W., and at 8.31 put over the trawl, 

 with the usual attachments, veering to 3,800 fathoms on the dredge-rope, 

 landing it on the bottom at 11.05 a. m. It dragged until 1 p. m., when 

 we began heaving in, and at 1.24 the rope parted at 3,400 fathoms, under 

 a strain of 5,000 pounds. It broke inboard, and, fortunately, the loose 

 end caught under the guard of the block at the boom end, holding the 

 rope under a tension of over two tons until we could secure it. It was 

 spliced, and the trawl hove up and landed on deck at 7.40 p. m., after a 

 successful haul, although the amount of material was no larger than 

 usual in the same depth. The mud-bag came up full of ooze, rich in 

 foraminifera, and in the trawl were two dozen OpMoglypha convexa^ sev- 

 eral shrimp, shells, one large galacantha-like form, several fragments, 

 and one whole octopus, besides one specimen of Sttrnoptyx diaphana. A 

 variety of minute crustaceans was as usual found in the wing-nets. A 

 set of serial temperatures and water specimens to 1,000 fathoms was 

 taken after the trawl was up. A few sea-birds and a solitary shark 

 were the only evidence of marine life seen during the day. At 9.35 p. 

 m. we started ahead WSW. ^ W. per compass to change the ground. 



At 5.07 a. m. on the 9th we commenced to sound, but the stray-line 

 parted when GOO fathoms had run out, obliging us to reel in the wire and 

 begin again. The sinker and sounding-rod were lost. At 6.07 we got 

 bottom in 2,513 fathoms, latitude 36° 05' 30" K., longitude 69° 51' 45'/ 

 W., and at 7 a. m. put the small trawl over, with wing-nets and mud- 

 bag attached, landing it on the bottom at 9.23 with 3,300 fathoms of 

 rope out. The splice in the rope at 3,400 fathoms was renewed while 

 the trawl was dragging. We commenced heaving in at 12.30 p. m., laud- 

 ing the trawl on deck at 3.06 ]). m., with an enormous load of clay and 

 a fair collection of specimens. The mud-bag came up full of blue and 

 gray clay with a mixture of ooze, containing a small amount of forami- 

 nifera. In the trawl wings we found a few crustaceans, and in the trawl 

 itself was the load of clay above-mentioned, several Ophioglyplia convexa, 

 a number of large cephalopods in good condition, nearly a bucketful of 

 small stones, several shells, a small piece of wood, and two unknown fish. 

 After the trawl was landed on deck, serial temperatures and water speci- 

 mens were taken to a depth of 1 ,000 fathoms, and at 5 p. m. we started ahead 

 W]:!^ W. per compass to change our station. After running all night we 

 sounded at 5 a. m. the following morning in 2,045 fathoms, latitude 37° 

 00' 00" isT., longitude 71° 54' 00" W., and at 6.20 put the small beam-trawl 

 over with wing-nets and mud-bag attached. It landed on the bottom 

 at 8.20 with 3,000 fathoms of rope out, and at 9.58 we began heaving 

 in, landing it on deck at 12.15 p. m. The rope stranded at 2,500 fathoms 

 while heaving in, causing a delay of half an hour repairing it. At 12.20 

 p. m. we sounded in 2,109 fathoms, latitude 36° 55' 23" K., longitude 

 71° 55' 00" W., and at 1.15 put the small trawl over, with attachments 

 as before, landing it on the bottom at 3.25 with 3,200 fathoms of rope 



