DESCRIPTION OF THE EXPEDITION. 25 
Subsequently, in the same position, we took a series of observations with the 
Wolfenden and Fowler closing-nets down to 1000 fathoms. Both acted satisfactorily, 
and the wire showed no tendency to kink in any way. We next determined to try our 
large net with 8 meshes to the inch. Steaming very slowly ahead we let out some 1400 
fathoms of wire, while the net sank rapidly, the wire making an angle of about 60 
degrees with the surface. We then commenced to haul in slowly and got up about half 
the wire with comparative ease. Unfortunately it had unravelled somewhat during its 
two years’ rest in the Antarctic Regions—it had never been used before—and no doubt 
had twisted a good deal in going down. As we had unfortunately placed no swivels 
upon the wire to counteract this, for the next four hours we were hard at work with the 
whole watch on deck and most of the officers to assist us in trying to unravel its large 
kinks under the beams of the electric lights. Finally we got the net itself on board, but 
the whole starboard gangway was blocked up with a mass of wire, from which we had 
to cut about 250 fathoms before we could finally get clear for the next haul, an important 
one for the comparison of the depths at which different animals float by day and night. 
Of course it was anticipated that the greater part of our catch was lost, but evidently in 
our first manceuvres, when about 750 fathoms were out, its tin had fouled the mouth and 
so had been absolutely closed. On examining it in the shade we could see only a mass 
of bright specks with larger spots of red, white, and blue light. However, when we had 
poured the catch into a series of bottles and they had been passed round, it was apparent 
to all that we had had an extraordinary haul, and that our labours had not been in vain. 
The catch included, among many others, a curious gelatinous cuttle-fish (Hledonella) 
set with minute black specks, each giving a tiny spark of rather blue phosphorescent 
light; a large vermilion prawn—a peculiar position for what are usually bottom-living 
animals ; Mesonema, a Leptomedusan, with an enormous open mouth, two-thirds of its 
diameter across ; the pteropod molluses Cavolinea and Desmopteris ; numerous Crustacean 
larvee, Hrichtheus and Phyllosomas an inch across; and Phronima, a large-eyed 
Amphipod. Tunicata such as Salpa and Pyrosoma were abundant, as also were 
Siphonophora—nearly all adding their green, red, and blue lights to the general 
illumination. (Figs. 6-8.) 
On the morning of May 19 we sighted land, first a few specks on the horizon, giving 
place to low domes, the tops of banyan-trees; then a ragged line of coconut-trees and 
Casuarinas; and, finally, a vivid line of green, the white strand with the variegated 
reef-flat outside, edged by its line of brilliant white foam. It was {le Diamant, the most 
north-westerly island of Peros Banhos. As the atoll had not been resurveyed since 
1837, and we did not as yet know the value of that survey, we were naturally careful ; 
the ‘Xanthus’ was accordingly lowered, Mr. Alexander going ahead and sounding the 
channel, while we followed in his wake, anchoring shortly after mid-day about a mile off 
Diamant. Our object was to see the Manager of the oil-settlement so as to glean some 
information about the atoll, as we had an idea of making a careful examination of it, in 
respect particularly to the formation of the Chagos reefs. It was also desired to take 
sights, since Moresby had run down to the same island for longitude when he was 
preparing the charts of the group in 1837. We had expected, in accordance with the 
SECOND SERIES.—ZOOLOGY, VOL. XII, 5 
