EXPLORATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 

 STEAMER -BACHE'^ IN THE WESTERN ATLANTIC. JANUARY-MARCH. 

 1 9 14, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF 

 FISHERIES,— OCEANOGRAPHY. 



By Henry B. Bigelow. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In connection with the oceanographic and fishery investigations 

 between the Grand Banks and Cape Hatteras which iiave been 

 prosecuted by the Bureau of Fisheries for a number of years (Bige- 

 low, 1914a-1915), there developed an appreciation of the importance 

 of studying the conditions between the southern Atlantic coast and 

 the Bermudas, Bahamas, and Cuba. As the Bureau of Fisheries 

 had no vessel on the Atlantic coast which was suitable for this off- 

 shore work, a request for assistance and cooperation was preferred to 

 the Coast and Geodetic Survey, which also was interested in certain 

 phases of the investigation, particularly the physical hydrography. 



The Superintendent of the Survey promptly acquiesced in the 

 suggestion and under an arrangement for an equitable division of 

 expenses, the Coast and Geodetic Survey steamer Bache, under the 

 command of Capt. C. C. Yates, was assigned to the duty. The in- 

 vestigations were under the direction of the Bureau of Fisheries, W. W. 

 Welsh, assistant in that Bureau, having immediate charge. The 

 cruise lasted from January 20, 1914, to March 23 of the same year. 



The course of the Bache (see chart) led from Chesapeake Bay to the 

 oceanic basin in longitude 73° 15', thence south to latitude 32° 30', 

 and from that point to Bermuda. SaiUng from Bermuda on Feb- 

 ruary 17, she ran 200 miles southwest, to latitude 29° 30', then west 

 to a point 140 miles north of the Bahamas, and south to Nassau. 

 Three sections were then run acrr>ss the Straits of Florida, viz, Key 

 West to Habana, Founey Rocks (Cape Florida) to Gun Cay, and 

 Jupiter Inlet to the northern end of the Little Bahama Bank (Mar. 

 13-21); and, finally, a line thence to connect with the Bermuda- 

 Bahama line. Serial oceanographic observations were taken at 38 

 stations and surface temperatures and water samples at 19 addi- 

 tional stations. The temperatures ^ were taken with reversing ther- 

 mometers of the latest type, with auxiUary thermometers to give the 



o Temperatures are centigrade. 



