4 DEEP-SEA SOUNDING. 



the wire, he was in the best position to see if it tended 

 forward or aft, away from or under the ship, and hence 

 with a judicious use of the helm he could keep the wire 

 " up and down " by working the engines ahead or astern. 



Sometimes, owing to a strong undercurrent or to the 

 peculiar state of the sea in reference to the wind, it was 

 difficult to keep the vessel in position, but this seldom 

 happened. 



When the wire had been reeled in, the ship was put 

 on her course, sail made, fires hauled, and the propeller 

 uncoupled. Lieutenant Geo. A. Norris, U. S. N,, took 

 each cast from the United States to the Straits of Sunda, 

 or across the Atlantic and Indian oceans. He had been 

 on similar duty with Commander Belknap in the 

 Tuscarora in 1874. The Tuscarora, however, almost 

 always had her stern to the wind and sea when a cast 

 was taken (see report of Tuscarora's soundings before 

 referred to), while the Enterprise very seldom got in that 

 position. In fact, on her homeward trip in 1885, while 

 sounding in the high latitudes of the South Pacific 

 between New Zealand and Cape Horn, it would have 

 been impossible to run a line satisfactorily had it been 

 necessary to lay the stern of the Enterprise to the wind 

 and sea. 



Lieutenant Adolph Marix, U. S. N., took the casts 

 on the return voyage to the United States, Mr. Norris 

 having become the executive officer. 



Mr. Norris made use of the " foot-break" when sound- 

 ing ; Mr. Marix, after taking a few casts, discarded the 



