ASSUME COMMAND OF THE ENTERPRISE. 2$ 



out was kept. Of course it was impossible to state 

 whether or not we had sounded over the highest point 

 of this submarine peak. At 3.15 p.m. another cast was 

 taken about ten miles from the last position, but the 

 depth had increased to 1203 fathoms, lat. 32° 49' 25" S., 

 long. 1° 59' 28" E ; white coral, sand, and shells. 

 Again at 6.15 p.m. we sounded in 1724 fathoms, lat. 

 32" 50' 54" S., long. 2° ig' og" E., the character of the 

 bottom being still the same, — white coral, sand, and shells. 



Although this was such an interesting locality for 

 our work we were obliged to press on, having but six 

 bags of bread remaining on board for a crew of nearly 

 two hundred men. Our salt beef and pork, and in truth 

 all other provisions, were nearly exhausted, and still we 

 had more than 800 miles to run to reach Cape Town. 



On the 26th, at 7.45 a.m., sounded in 2765 fathoms, 

 lat. 33° 14' 45" S., long. 4° 29' 18'' E. — brown ooze ; 

 and again at 6 p.m. in 2938 fathoms, lat. -iy^i" 24' 33" S., 

 long. 5° 52' 57'' E., finding the same kind of bottom — 

 brown ooze. 



When the wire was reeled in there were found on the 

 gronaraet at the end two long worms, alive, and resem- 

 bling ordinary earth-worms except in respect to their 

 heads. One was 26 inches long and the other 19^ 

 inches. We were 600 miles from any known dry land. 

 It was impossible to tell whether they came from the 

 bottom or were caught by the grommet near the surface, 

 but they were considered of sufficient UTiportance to pre- 

 serve m alcohol and send to the Smithsonian Institution. 



