NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE. '2s:) 



Some crania of Bushmen were procured at the Cape, and along with them several 

 .stone implements, shaped into lance heads, and a large perforated stone ball. A 

 description of the skulls has been given by Professor Turner in his Report on the Human 

 Crania. 1 He found them to possess the mesaticephalic and orthognathous proportions 

 characteristic of this race. 



The zoological and other specimens collected during the year 1873 were carefully 

 packed, catalogued, and landed in sixty-one large cases in the dockyard for transmission 

 to England. 



Captain Nares remarks as follows on the temperature observations at the Cape : 2 — 



" Our observations indicate that the broad and comparatively sluggish ' South Atlantic 

 drift current,' running to the eastward before the continuous westerly winds, accumulates 

 its water against the west coast of Africa, raising the level of the sea sufficiently to prevent 

 the Agulhas current continuing its course, and swallows or diverts nearly the whole of it ; 

 a very small portion escaping to the northward round the Cape during the southerly 

 winds, intermixing with the colder water of the drift current, which also throws out 

 an offshoot to the northward, as it strikes against and meets the African coast and 

 Agulhas stream. Great variations in temperature may naturally be looked for when two 

 such oppositely constituted currents meet and intermingle. It is well known at the Cape 

 that the warm current seldom extends as far to the north as Table Bay, the water there 

 being much colder than in Simon's Bay. 



" During our stay the wind was blowing nearly continuously from the southeast, and 

 the temperature of the sea in Simon's Bay was from 62° to 64°, the same temperature, 

 and therefore water derived from the same source, as we found outside close to the land. 

 But on one occasion during a northwesterly gale this warm water was driven out of 

 Simon's Bay, being replaced in about six hours by water of a temperature of 5 1 ° ; and this 

 applies, not only to the surface water, but to that at the depth of nine fathoms, in which 

 water the ship was anchored, and to which the observations extended. The current usually 

 circles round the bay from Cape Agulhas to Cape Point ; on this occasion, whilst the water 

 was gradually cooling, a current was circling round the bay in the opposite direction, 

 running to the eastward from Cape Point towards Cape Agulhas. From this I can only 

 conclude that during northwesterly gales the pressure of the wind is sufficient to over- 

 power and drive the narrow branch or horn of the Agulhas current, which at other times 

 is found touching the Cape, to the southward, with the rest of the stream. Imme- 

 diately the pressure from the northwesterly wind was withdrawn the water in Simon's Bay 

 gradually increased in temperature, indicating the return of the warm Agulhas stream. 

 It is remarkable that the surface water of a temperature of 51° found in Simon's Bay 

 during the northwesterly gale was colder than that found at any Station to the westward 



1 Zool Chall. Exp., part xxix., 1884. 



2 Report to the Hydrographer, December 1873. 



