392 Proceedings of the Boycd Physical Society. 



The depth as shown on the chart, where the belt of coloured 

 water was observed, is 58 fathoms, with a bottom of sand 

 and shells.^ It is possible that the colour of the water may, 

 to a small degree, be due to the reflection from the white 

 sand at the bottom ; it certainly was not due to any organisms 

 or suspended matter. 



At 5 P.M. a complete change took place in the weather. A 

 heavy drifting mist set in, while the wind had increased to 

 half a gale, causing the ship to labour heavily under close 

 reefed sails. Fair Island (misnamed so) was sighted, and 

 passed at 8.30 p.m. By this time the wind had increased 

 to fully a gale in force, and at 9 p.m. the barometer had fallen 

 to 49°-04. It was with the greatest difficulty we were able 

 to move about the decks. This continued till 1 a.m. on 

 the 25th, when Sumburgh Head was sighted and passed, and 

 soon afterwards we entered the quieter waters of Mousa 

 Sound. At 2.30 a.m. we cast anchor off Lerwick after a very 

 unpleasant 12 hours' sailing. Notwithstanding the bad 

 weather many biological and meteorological observations con- 

 tinued to be taken. 



Two days were spent at Lerwick discharging the super- 

 fluous material brought from Leith, refitting the " Energy " 

 with small sails, and putting her in proper order for the fish- 

 ing. During this stay I occupied myself in investigating the 

 pelagic life of Lerwick harbour and Bressa Sound, which I 

 found contained an enormous quantity of algse, chiefly 

 Ehizosolenia Shrubsolei (Cleve), giving the water a dark 

 brown colour, and amongst the Diatoms were a few Gasteropod 

 and Lamellibranch, Annelid and other larval forms. The tem- 

 perature of the surface w^ater w^as 49°*6, and the bottom 

 49°. 



At 10 A.M. on the 27th, all being ready, the " Energy," 

 with a rising barometer, wound her way through the narrow 

 north entrance to Lerwick harbour, passing Eova Head and 

 Dales Voe on our left. We had a magnificent view of Noss 

 Head, with its high perpendicular cliffs, round which myriads 

 of sea birds were flying. At 9 p.m. we were 37 miles west J 

 south of Noss Head, and a sounding was taken in 70 fathoms, 



^ See accompanying track chart. 



