376 THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OP THE SEA. 



required, and the law itself was liberal enongli. Under such au- 

 spices, it was decided to inaugurate a regular plan of deep-sea 

 sounding for the American navy. Accordingly, formulge were 

 arranged, methods prescribed, and our men-of-war were furnished 

 with the requisite twine, etc., and commanded to use every suitable 

 and convenient opportunity while at sea to try the de^Dths of its 

 deep waters. Each vessel was allowed a number of reels of this 

 twine, according to her cruising-ground, each reel containing ten 

 thousand fathoms, weighing about one hundred pounds. 



Under this order, Lieutenant Wm. Eogers Taylor, the 1st of the 

 Albany, Captain Piatt, commenced a series of soundings in and 

 about the Gulf of Mexico. Captain Barron, of the John Adams, 

 ran a line across the Atlantic ; and Captain Walker, of the Sarato- 

 ga, got a cast in the South Atlantic. 



All these soundings required verification ; and in 1851 the Dol- 

 phin, Lieutenant-commanding S. P. Lee, was fitted out, under the 

 act of 1849, especially to assist me with observations and experi- 

 ments. After many trials and as many failures, she at last suc- 

 ceeded in getting good casts, which, being reliable, enabled me to 

 establish a law of descent for the plummet, and so prove the 

 soundings of other vessels. 



Lieutenant Lee, having thus ''made the egg stand on its end," re- 

 turned home, bringing with him the best series of deep-sea sound- 

 ings that up to that time had ever been made ; and they have not 

 been surpassed by any up to this day. 



The Dolphin was then placed under the command of Lieuten- 

 ant 0. H. Berryman, to continue this service. With Lee's plans 

 and experience to guide him, he put to sea from JSTew York Octo- 

 ber, 1852, sounding as he went as far as the meridian of 40° west, 

 where he was overtaken by a gale, damaged, and forced into the 

 Tagus for repairs. Here he remained till December 19th, and then 

 returned home by the southern route, sounding and looking for 

 " vigias" as he came. 



With Lee's soundings in the Dolphin, together with those al- 

 ready obtained from the regular cruisers in the navy, I was ena- 

 bled, with the assistance of Professor Flye, to construct, in the fall 

 of 1852, an orographic map of the bed of the North Atlantic Ocean, 

 and to give a profile representing a vertical section of its bottom 

 between this country and Europe near the parallel of 89° north. 



