484 



NA TURE 



\Oct. 15, 1874 



SOUNDINGS AND CURRENTS IN THE NORTH 

 PACIFIC OCEAN 



PREVIOUS accounts of the soundings of the U.S. 

 steamer Titscarora in the North Pacific Ocean, with 

 reference to laying a cable between America and Japan, 

 have described the work accomplished sailing from the 

 Asiatic coast up to lat. 41° 09' N., long. 144° 01' E., after 

 two projected routes had been tried and abandoned. 

 From that point the Titscarora went to Hakodadi to 

 obtain a supply of coal, and thence sailed to lat. 46" 38' N., 

 long. 151° 47' E., from which point soundings were taken 

 on a backward line to the position which was left to go 

 to Hakodadi ; the backward line skirling the shores of 

 the Kurile Islands. All the soundings are taken at inter- 

 vals of 29 or 30 miles. Upon the new route thus sur- 

 veyed from Yokohama, for a distance of 1,000 miles, the 

 depths range from 300 to 2,270 fathoms, the greatest de- 

 clivity being 161 ft. to the mile, betvfeen lat. 40° 10' N., 

 long. 142" 57' E., and lat. 41° eg' N., long. 144° 01' E. 

 The depth gradually increased between lat. 47° 44' N., 

 long. 154° IS' E. and lat. 50° 19' N., long. 159'" 39' E. (a 

 distance of 260 miles), at the rate of about 60 ft. to the 

 mile ; the depth at the point last named being 3,754 

 fathoms. The course thence was through open water 

 between the Kamschatkan coast and the Aleutian Islands ; 

 but just before entering the latter group the steepest de- 

 clivity was found that has been met with during this 

 survey. The preceding and succeeding coasts, each at a 

 distance of 29 miles, gave depths of 2,460 fathoms, while 

 this one, in lat. 52- 06' N., long. 171" 15' E., gave 4,037 

 fathoms, a slope of at least 326 ft. to the mile. Thence 

 to lat. 51° 58' N., long. 174" 31' E. (about three miles from 

 Atchka Island), the water shoaled to 332 fathoms, rising 

 at the rate of 187 ft. to a mile. From the last-named 

 position to Tanaga Island the depths ranged from 200 to 

 1,800 fathoms, including only one remarkable declivity, 

 which was between lat. 51° oS' N., long. 178° 35' W., and 

 lat. 51° 28' N., long. 177° 57' W., where the slope was 

 250 ft. to the mile. 



Between Tanaga Island and Illiouk, a distance of about 

 500 miles, the depths nowhere exceeded 1,500 fathoms. 

 The latter place will afford facilities as an intermediate 

 station for the projected cable. Thence the course sur- 

 veyed was to the north-east, afterward veering to the 

 eastward through Ounimak Pass, toward the locality at 

 which the survey proceeding from Cape Flattery west- 

 ward left off last autumn, lat. 53° 58' N., long. 153° W. 

 From llliouk to lat. 54" 10' N., long. 162° 39' W., the 

 depths were small, being at the latter point 44 fathoms. 

 Thence to lat. 54° N., long. 158° 22' W., a distance of 15 i 

 miles, there was a descent of 130 ft. to the mile, the depth 

 at the last-named being 3,359 fathoms. From this point 

 the bed rises, reaching about the same level as that of last 

 autumn's stopping-place — 2,520 to 2,530 fathoms— when 

 within 30 miles of that location. The great depth of 

 3,359 fathoins can be avoided by selecting a line some 30 

 miles to the northward, where only 2,900 fathoms' depth 

 is found. A series of observations south of the line 

 already surveyed gave greater depths. 



Numerous observations were made on currents and 

 temperatures. Along the shores of Kamschatka and the 

 Kurile Islands, in lat. 51° 39' N., there is a counter-current 

 setting to the south-west, extending to long. 164° E., with 

 a surface temperature of 42" F. Thence to long. 174° E. 

 in the same latitude, with a surface temperature of 46° to 

 47° F., is the Kamschatka current (a branch of the Japan 

 stream, setting through Behring Straits), which is here 

 about 350 miles in width. It lost 22° F. between the 

 Japan coast and lat. 51° 39' N. The counter-current 

 within tlie same limits gained 6" F. The atmosphere lost 

 18° F. From long. 174'' E., proceeding eastward, the 

 cold Behring Straits current with about 42^ surface tem- 

 perature was found, having for its western limits St. Law- 



rence and St. Matthew Islands. It is inferred that the 

 counter-current of long. 164" is part of the Behring Strait 

 current, having the same temperature, and that it flows 



Fig. I.' — Bed of the Pacific from Yokohama to Tanaga Island. 



beneath the Kamschatka current ; and this belief was 

 confirmed by finding at 30 fathoms' depth and below the 

 latter current one setting to the south-west. On this 



