94 THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA. [CHAP. m. 



The weather was very settled. On the Sunday, as 

 we steamed down the Irish Channel there was nearly 

 a dead calm, a slight mist hanging over the water 

 and giving some very beautiful effects of coast 

 scenery. On the evening of Sunday the 18th we 

 anchored for the night off Ballycottin, a pretty little 

 port ahout fifteen miles from Queenstown, and 

 dropped round to Queenstown on Monday morning, 

 where we anchored off Haulbowline Island at 7 A.M. 

 At Queenstown Mr. P. Herbert Carpenter joined 

 Mr. Hunter in the laboratory, to practise under his 

 direction the gas-analysis, which it had been arranged 

 that he should undertake during the third cruise. 

 Monday the 18th was employed in coaling and pro- 

 curing in Cork some things which were required for 

 the chemical department ; and at 7 P.M. we cast off 

 from the wharf at Haulbowline and proceeded on our 

 voyage. 



During Monday night we steamed in a south- 

 westerly direction across the mouth of the Channel. 

 On Tuesday we dredged in 74 and 75 fathoms on the 

 plateau which extends between Cape Clear and Ushant, 

 on a bottom of mud and gravel with dead shells and 

 a few living examples of the generally diffused species 

 of moderate depths. The weather was remarkably 

 fine, the barometer 30*25 in., and the temperature of 

 the air 22-5 C. 



On Wednesday, July 21, we continued our south- 

 westerly course, the chart indicating during the earlier 

 part of the day that we were still in the shallow 

 water of the plateau of the Channel. At 4.30 A.M. 

 we dredged gravel and dead shells in 95 fathoms, but 

 towards mid-day the lead gave a much greater depth ; 



