ON DEEP-SEA SOUNDING. 347 



wire coiled on it, under heavy pull, consists 

 in the use of an auxiliary hauling-in pulley by 

 which the pull on the wire is very much 

 reduced before it is coiled on the main 

 sounding wheel. As in my original process 

 in the Bay of Biscay, during the descent of 

 the sinker the wire runs direct down into the 

 sea from the main sounding wheel, which, for 

 that part of the process, is placed in an over- 

 hanging position on either side of the ship, or 

 over her taffrail ; the taffrail, suppose, to avoid 

 circumlocutions. To prepare for hauling in, a 

 spun yarn stopper, attached to the lower fram- 

 ing of the sounding machine projecting over 

 the taffrail, or to the taffrail itself, is applied 

 to the wire hanging down below, to hold the 

 wire up and relieve the wheel from the necessity 

 of performing that duty : or otherwise, two men, 

 with thick leather gloves, can easily hold the 

 wire up. A little of the wire is then paid out 

 from the wheel ; the wheel with its framing 

 is run inboard about five feet on slides which 

 carry its framing ; and the slack wire is led 



