274 THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 



" Specimens of Nautilus pompilius and Spirula australis were obtained, and will be 

 alluded to in connection with their respective captures. 



" Such is a very brief notice of the more interesting and remarkable Cephalopoda 

 obtained during the cruise ; those who require more detailed information are referred to 

 the forthcoming memoir upon the group in the series of zoological reports. The collection 

 is not lacking in novelties, though it has by no means fulfilled the expectations of 

 those who hoped that forms hitherto known only as fossils would be brought home 

 among the spoils. One of the naturalists tells us that ' even to the last every Cuttle-fish 

 which came up in our deep-sea net was squeezed to see if it had a Belemnite's bone in 

 its back ;' ' but no such precious discovery was made, and our knowledge of the anatomy 

 of these interesting animals must still be gleaned piecemeal from exceptionally well- 

 preserved fossil specimens." 



Tristak da Cunha Group to the Cape of Good Hope. 



On the 18th October, at 6 p.m., the Challenger left the Tristan da Cunha group for 

 the Cape of Good Hope. 



On the 28th October, at daylight, the land in the vicinity of False Bay was observed, 

 and having obtained a sounding and some temperature observations, the ship proceeded 

 to Simon's Ba} 7 , arriving and mooring there at 3.20 p.m. 



During the passage the wind was variable from north round west to south and 

 southeast, occasionally shifting suddenly, and its strength was as unsteady as its 

 direction, but on no occasion did it exceed a moderate gale in force. The weather was 

 cloudy and squally, with passing showers. On the 23rd, at 5 p.m., a large mass of 

 seaweed was passed 700 miles from Tristan Island. 



Between Tristan Island and the Cape of Good Hope five soundings, five serial 

 temperature soundings, and two dredgings were obtained (see Sheet 16). 



The dredging on the 20th October, at Station 136, was on hard ground, for the 

 sounding rod brought up only a fragment of manganese, and the dredge caught at the 

 bottom directly it was attempted to drag it along, giving much trouble and anxiety. 

 In heaving in, the line parted, but, owing to the smartness of the man attending the 

 stopper, the end was caught and spliced again, so that the dredge was saved. It came 

 up empty, the nature of the bottom being evidently unfavourable for such work. 



The depths increased gradually from 2100 fathoms at a distance of 200 miles from 

 Tristan, to 2600 fathoms 500 miles west of the Cape of Good Hope, from whence they 

 diminished to 2325 fathoms at a distance of 130 miles from the Cape, and afterwards 

 gradually to the edge of the 100 fathom bank (see Diagram 6). 



The temperature of the surface water varied from 53° at the Tristan group to 59° at 



1 Moseley, Notes by a Naturalist on the Challenger, p. 586, London, 1879. 



