is from 12 to 14 metres. In these ports the boats cast anchor at high 

 tide near the coast in order to stay high and dry when the cargo is taken 

 off. In this manner the hulls can be cleaned during the time the ships 

 carry out their operations of loading and unloading by means of horse- 

 wagons, or some other means. We are dealing here with ports or bays in 

 Patagonia, with low density of population, where it is convenient when 

 possible to avoid the use of motor-boats for the transferring of 

 merchandise, animals, &c. 



We have already installed some important geodetical tide gauges and 

 we plan to have six distributed in the most convenient coastal ports. 

 The tide-gauge net will be completed with other apparatus of the 

 " patron " type of which twenty instruments will be installed and twelve 

 or more of the portable type will also be installed. Many of these instru- 

 ments have been in operation for some time, and what is lacking is going 

 to be integrated. This material has been acquired from the United 

 States, The immediate needs of our country in oceanography lie within 

 the Great Continental Platform, and therefore our greatest oceanographic 

 efforts are concentrated here. 



Thermometers — We utilize reversing thermometers, &c., of the classic 

 type. The same can be said with regard to the dredging and the 

 apparatus used to coUect specimens from the bottom in such a way as to 

 preserve their stratification. The dredging which has given us the best 

 results is on the smooth ocean floor, although in certain places the results 

 have been satisfactory on the rough ocean floor. 



The extractions from the ocean floor have not in general given us- 

 good results as specimens of stratification, and a new type is being studied 

 at present. In order to obtain certain organisms which live in the sand 

 or mud, some years ago we designed an apparatus which gave us good 

 results and is easy to set up in the same oceanographic vessel. It is used 

 by towing it slowly. 



Soundings. — We utilize the acoustic ones and also the sounding-lines 

 in dealing with stations where we wish to determine the oceanographic 

 elements at different depths. 



Current Meters. — We utilize those of simple construction which can 

 be made on board, or the modern type " Gurley," Eckman, Idrac, which 

 give us the intensity of the currents at different depths with the corre- 

 sponding photographic record. 



Physical-chemical Elements of the Sea-water. — These are determined 

 in the laboratories on land ; the oceanographic vessel only collects the 

 samples. 



Biological Stations. — In the case of our oceanographic vessel, " Patria," 

 we have a rudimentary laboratory in the open air and another below deck, 

 but the most important part of the work is done in the laboratories on 

 land with data brought from the ship. On our continental shelf we do 

 not have nearby ports for work of this type, except in certain sectors. 

 The same situation exists south of the Strait of Magellan to the 

 Argentinian Antarctic sector. 



Plankton. — ^The collection of this important element, which gives us 

 an indication of the biological wealth of certain zones, is made with known 

 methods and nets, but its detailed study is made on land. 



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