92 THREE CRUISES OF THE “ BLAKE." 
was securely held in place, and the dredging carried on from 
it. To wind up, the wire rope was stopped. and sufficient slack 
taken from the reel to make the necessary turns round the 
surging-drum of the hoisting-engine. When this was done the 
reel was made taut, the stops were unfastened, and the wire 
rope was wound up by the winding-engine until the dredge 
came in sight. 
During the whole time the dredge or trawl was lowered or 
hoisted, the recorders kept an accurate record of the time spent 
in paying out or reeling in the rope, so that at any moment we 
knew the precise position of the dredge and the quantity of 
rope still out. 
The uniform success which attended all our hauls was un- 
doubtedly due not only to the improvements suggested in the 
apparatus by Lieutenant-Commander Sigsbee, by Lieutenant- 
Commanding Ackley, by Lieutenant Sharrer, and by Messrs. 
Jacoby ‘and Moore, but also to the great care taken by the 
officer of the deck in handling the “ Blake" during the pro- 
gress of a haul! With a vessel of the size of the “Blake,” 
excellent judgment was necessary while working in a seaway, 
and that we incurred so few accidents is entirely due to the 
interest taken in the expedition by the officers, and the de- 
vices constantly suggested by them for overcoming the diffi- 
culties we encountered in this novel work. 
The strain of the trawl is taken up directly by the reeling- 
engine; this has a surging-drum round which the wire rope 
passes eight or ten. times, the wire reel becoming a mere spool 
relieved. of all pressure, either in winding or in dredging, by the 
surging-drum of the winding-engine. This drum is a fathom 
in circumference, and, being connected with an indicator, the 
amount of rope out can always be accurately read on the dial. 
A similar arrangement exists for measuring the sounding-wire ; 
but as the wire piles on the reel, a slight correction must be ap- 
plied in that case to determine the exact length of wire payed 
out. 
1 The other officers of the “ Blake" gineer during the other dredging cruises 
were Lieutenants Wallis and Mentz, of the “Blake ;” Dr. Nourse, Dr. Per- 
Master McCrea, and Ensigns Peters and sons, and Mr. L. P. Sigsbee served as re- 
Reynolds. Mr. Pemberton was the en- corders. 
