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



few days, answered that he failed to see the utility of proceeding when there was so great 

 a probability of no one living to carry home the tale. At 8 p.m. sail was shortened to 

 double-reefed topsails, and the ship continued working for the night between two icebergs 

 separated from each other five or six miles, the space between them being free from 

 danger. A fresh breeze blew all day, with a cloudy sky, the barometer rising slightly, 

 its mean height 28 - 940 inches, and the mean temperature of the air 34°*1, of the sea 

 surface 33°7. The position at noon, lat. 62° 2' S., long. 97° 6' E. 



On the 28th, at 3 a.m., sail was made and the northerly course resumed ; numerous 

 icebergs were passed, the greatest number in sight at any one time being twenty -four. At 

 5.30 p.m. sail was shortened to triple-reefed topsails and courses. At 8 p.m. the courses 

 were taken in, and it being moonlight the ship proceeded under easy sail until 11.30 p.m., 

 and then laid to for the night. There was a strong breeze all day, with a westerly 

 swell, the barometer rising from 29'076 to 29'335 inches at 10 a.m. and falling to 29\195 

 inches at midnight ; the weather was clear in the morning, but cloudy and gloomy, with 

 snow showers during the rest of the day. A strong northerly current was observed. 

 Mean temperature of the air 34°'6, and of the surface water 34°*4 ; position at noon, 

 lat. 59° 56' S., long. 99° 14' E. 



On Sunday, March 1st, 1874, at 3.30 a.m., sail was made and the course resumed 

 towards Melbourne. Between 4 and 8 a.m. four icebergs were seen, but at noon no ice 

 was in sight, the position being lat. 58° 5' S., long. 101° 56' E. At 4 p.m. one berg was 

 seen to the northwestward (true), distant four or five miles. At 8 p.m. and midnight no 

 ice was in sight. The ice having decreased so rapidly, it was not considered necessary 

 to shorten sail and heave to during any part of the night, more especially as by the aid 

 of the moon objects could be seen at a distance of three quarters of a mile distinctly. 

 The wind was fresh all day, force 8 at 1 a.m., moderating gradually to force 5 by mid- 

 night, the weather being thick and gloomy, the sky covered with an impervious cloud, 

 a moderate westerly swell. Barometer rising from 29'149 to 29'520 inches, mean 

 temperature of the air 36°"2, of the surface water 35°'l. 



On the 2nd, at 3 a.m., the ship passed close to a large iceberg and the course had to 

 be altered to clear it ; this was the only one seen throughout the day. The wind con- 

 tinued fresh up to 4 p.m., after which it shifted to the south westward and died away ; 

 the weather continued cloudy and gloomy till 6 p.m. ; the barometer rising steaddy from 

 29*530 to 29"948 inches; the mean temperature of the air 38°'2, of the surface water 

 37°'5 ; the position at noon, lat. 55° 38' S., long. 106° 10' E. 



On the 3rd, the wind being light and the sea moderate, a sounding, trawling, and 

 temperatures were obtained in 1950 fathoms, Diatom ooze, Station 157 (see Sheet 24). 

 The serial temperatures obtained showed that, from the surface to the depth of 60 

 fathoms, the water remained at 36°"6, but at 70 fathoms it had cooled to 33°, and at 80 

 fathoms to 32° - 5. Below that depth the temperature could not be ascertained with 



