f)fiO DISCOLOURED WATER. 



December. — In lat. 7° N., 22° W., " Several pieces of greenish seaweed." 

 In 6° N., 21° W., noon, " Passed a large tree, evidently torn up by the 

 roots. It appeared about 40 ft. in length." In 3° N., 22° W., " A 

 large stream of something like dirty oil or grease floating on the water." 

 In 8° N., 27° W., " Numerous mollusks floating past, in shape and 

 size like a mushroom." 



Between the Equator and ICP S. (Squares 301, 302, 303, see diagram, 

 page 481). January.— {185Q). In 4° S., 31° W., " A strong smell of sea- 

 weed, as on a sea-beach, with plenty of weed at low water. In 6° S., 

 32° W., the captain says the smell came from a substance on the water 

 resembling oil." (1868). In 5° S., 33° W., a captain remarks the curious 

 circumstance, which, although not directly referring to our subject, is still 

 worth quoting. " From the observations of many others, as well as from 

 personal experience, I mention that the birds in the vicinity of the Eocas 

 and St. Paul's Rocks are invariably to the eastward of them, only stray 

 ones to leeward." Off Pernambuco (1857), " Passed over a large quan- 

 tity of lohale-dujig ." 



March. — In 4° S., 19° W., Mediisce and animalcules reported. On 

 the Equator, in 20° W. (1860), " Passed a small piece of seaweed like 

 sargasso." In 9° S., 33° W., off Pernambuco, " Passed through a narrow 

 belt of water, its suiface covered with a thick deposit of vegetable matter." 



April. — Jelly-fish and medusa have been seen (1866) in 1° S., 21° W. ; 

 (1868) in 2° S., 22° W. ; and (1857) in 3° S., 27° W. Off Pernambuco 



to the S.E. (1866), " Water quite thick with the seed of seaweed." 



July.— In 2° S., 15° W., Medusa (phosphorescent). In 5° N., 18° W., 

 " A great number oi jelly-fish floating about in large patches." 



August. — In 5° S., 29° W., many snake-like gelatinous creatures seen. 

 In 10° S., 31° W., " Water full of animalcules." In 9° S., 34° W. 



(1860), " Much seaweed about, leaf oblong, with prickly point like holly, 

 yellow colour, berries upon it single, not in clusters. Little crabs and 

 fish amongst it in great abundance." A sketch is given in the log, which 

 resembles Sargasso weed ; also sketches of the crabs, &c. 



September. — In 4° S., 15° W., "A mass of scum travelling with the 

 wind ; it had a brownish appearance." Similar colouring matter was 

 noticed in 6° S., 17° W., over a quarter of a mile of the sea, in streaks, at 

 short distances apart. 



December.— On t\iQ Equator, 20° W. (1860), "Passed through a long 

 streak of foam, extending N.W. and S.E. as far as the eye could reach." 



In July, 1886, Capt. Page, of the brig Manson, between a position in 

 lat. 21° 5' N., long. 21° 14' W., and another in lat. 17° 41' N., long. 

 19° 44' W., observed the water to be of a pale green colour, and highly 

 phosphorescent at night. No bottom was found at 125 fathoms. 



On July 28th, 1887, in lat. 6° 24' N., long. 53° 34' W., Capt. Green, of 

 the ship Erato, reported that the water appeared perfectly black, anrl when 

 broken by the vessel was very dark green. The thermometer at uoon 

 stood at 84" F. 



