c Le Travailleur ' in the Bay of Biscay. 431 



with unflagging zeal and energy into the somewhat unusual 

 duties which devolved upon them, taking most intelligent and 

 lively interest in the various scientific work. 



The fittings of the ship generally and the scientific appa- 

 ratus employed were similar for the most part in character 

 to those employed in the English expeditions ; there were, 

 however, two or three novel appliances, which may be men- 

 tioned. 



The dredge, devised by Alexander Agassiz, which has a 

 metal skeleton frame within the net, so that the extent of 

 bearing on the bottom is not only the mouth but the entire 

 side, appeared admirably designed for use on a very soft 

 bottom, such as is usually met with in the great depths, it 

 having less tendency to bury itself in the mud. Unfortu- 

 nately, at the second haul, this dredge, coming up with an 

 immense load, was lost by the breaking of the rope ; but in 

 the one successful haul the end desired appeared to have been 

 satisfactorily obtained, and the mud consisted of that which 

 belongs to the softest surface- stratum. 



Another instrument which was found efficient may be called 

 the "beam-sweep/"' It consisted of a long bar of wood, 

 similar in size and structure to the " beam " of a large trawl. 

 To this beam were attached at each end bundles of faggots, 

 so as to raise it about a foot from the ground, while at the 

 same time weights were, of course, added to keep it from 

 floating. To this beam three small dredges, such as are ordi- 

 narily employed in shallow water, were fastened by ropes 

 three or four fathoms long, so that they might be dragged 

 behind it, one in the centre and one at each end, while the 

 whole length of the beam itself was hung with " tangles." It 

 will be understood that by the use of the " beam-sweep " a 

 much greater breadth of the bottom was swept than is effected 

 by the ordinary single large dredge and its attached "tangles." 

 And it was found to be very effectual ; for not only did it 

 come up laden with Crustacea and Echinoderms, but even 

 rare deep-water fish, referred by Prof. Vaillant to the genera 

 Stromias and Macrurus, were caught in the tangles and 

 secured in beautiful preservation. 



Nor must I omit to refer to the most satisfactory results 

 attained by the use of a form of the " hydra" sounding-lead 

 combined with an apparatus in which steel pianoforte-wire, as 

 recommended by Sir William Thomson, was employed as 

 the sounding-line. The wire was coiled on a very narrow 

 drum of considerable diameter, attached to the side of which 

 was a clockwork dial on which each revolution was registered. 

 The circumference of the wheel being known, the multiplica- 



