chap, m.] THE CRUISES OF THE 'PORCUPINE.' 105 



8° 14', gave 440 fathoms, and a bottom temperature of 

 5° - 5 C, showing that we were passing into another set 

 of conditions ; and at Station 52, lat. GO 25', long. 

 8° 10', only a few miles further on, with a depth of 

 384 fathoms, nearly the same as that of Station 20, 

 the thermometers recorded a minimum of — o- 8 C. 

 We now altered our course towards the east-south- 

 east, and, after a run of about 25 miles, sounded in 

 490 fathoms, with a bottom temperature of — 1°1 C. 

 The following six stations, Nos. 54 to 59, were all in 

 the cold area with a temperature below the freezing- 

 point of fresh water. At the last station, No. 59, lat. 60° 

 21/, long. 5° 41/, at a depth of 580 fathoms, the guarded 

 thermometer recorded the lowest temperature which 

 was met with — 1°*3 C. While we were passing through 

 the cold area and making these observations, the 

 weather was extremely settled and fine, and under the 

 careful management of Captain Calver all our ajopli- 

 ances worked admirably. The temperatures were noted 

 in every case by the same pair of Miller-Casella ther- 

 mometers, which were sometimes compared with other 

 instruments and found to give perfectly accurate indi- 

 cations, even after being so frequently subjected to 

 prodigious pressure. The sounding instruments and 

 the dredges never failed, and an ingenious device, for 

 which we are indebted to our Captain, enabled us 

 sometimes to multiply our prizes a hundred-fold. A 

 number of tangles of teazed-out hemp, like the 

 ' swabs ' for cleaning the deck, were hung in a way 

 which will be explained hereafter at the bottom of the 

 dredge. These hempen tangles swept by the sides of 

 the dredge, pulling along and picking up everything 

 which was moveable and rough. As echinoderms, 



