32 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 w^hile 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 sKght correction must be ap- 

 plied in that case to determine the exact length of wire payed 

 out. 



^ The other officers of the " Blake " gineer during the other dredging cruises 

 were Lieutenants Wallis and IMentz, of the "Blake;" Dr. Nourse, Dr. Per- 

 Master MeCrea, and Ensigns Peters and sons, and Mr. L, P. Sigsbee served as re- 

 Reynolds. Mr. Pemberton was the en- corders. 



