616 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. II., No. 40. 



(magnetic), runuiiig ou that course till 5.30 

 A. 11., Oct. 1, when we sounded in 1,917 fath- 

 oms, — latitude 37° 60' 20" north, longitude 

 70° 57' 30" west ; bottom, globigerina ooze, — 

 and at 6.18 put the beam-trawl over, veering 

 to 2,600 fathoms. It was ou the bottom at 

 8.04 ; and at 9.04 we began heaviug in, land- 

 ing it on the deck at 10.42 a.m., having made 

 a successful haul. [Station 2,097.] 



At 2.08 P.M. the beam-trawl was lowered 

 again iu 2,221 fathoms, latitude 37° 40' 30" 

 north, longitude 70° 37' 30" west. It was 

 down, with 3,000 fathoms of rope out, at 4.03 



P.M., dragged till 5.14 p.m., and was landed, 

 after a successful haul, at 7.24 p.m. [Station 

 2,098.] 



At 7.34 p.m. started ahead south-south-east 

 (magnetic), ran till 3.26 a.m., and lay to 

 until daylight (about 5.30 a.m.), wheu we 

 sounded in 2,949 fathoms, — bottom, globige- 

 rina ooze; latitude 37° 12' 20" north, longi- 

 tude 00° 39' west, — -near the centre of the 

 Gulf Stream. The sinker, sixt3--four pounds 

 weight, was thirtj'-four minutes in reaching 

 the bottom ; and the specimen-cup came up in 

 thirty-six minutes. The thermometer regis- 

 tered at some intermediate depth not far from 

 the surface, having capsized in some way in 

 its descent. [Station 2,099.] The not of 



the beam-trawl was examined with great care, 

 and ever}' foreign substance removed, so that 

 there should be no doubt as to whether speci- 

 mens found were taken during the haul, or 

 were iu the net when it went down. 



At 7.14 a.m. the trawl was put over, reach- 

 ing the bottom at 10.13|^, having veered 

 4,100 fathoms of rope. At 0.54 p.m. began 

 heaviug up, and at 3.18 p.m. it was lauded 

 on deck. It was a successful haul in every 

 respect. 



'rhe moderate breeze of the morning in- 

 creased to a strong wind with heavy swell 

 before the trawl was up, making 

 it doubtful whether we should 

 succeed in laTidiug it. A set of 

 serial temperatures and specific 

 gravities was attempted after fin- 

 ishing the haul ; but the strong 

 current, high wind, rugged sea, 

 and threatening weatlier forced 

 us to give it up rtfter having 

 veered 300 fathoms of rope. The 

 method adopted to regulate the 

 drift was at least original. The 

 current of the stream was so 

 strong that the trawl would not 

 take the bottom ; and, to efiect 

 this object, an officer was sta- 

 tioned on the forecastle with a 

 dredging quadrant, constantly ob- 

 serving the angle of the dredge- 

 rope, the eugiues being moved 

 with sufficient speed to maintain 

 it within certain prescribed limits. 

 At 4.30 p.m., moderate gale 

 from south-west ; hove to under 

 fore storm-staysail, head to the 

 southward, drifting rapidly with 

 the stream about north-east by 

 cast. ■ At midnight it was blow- 

 ing a moderate gale with heavy 

 sea, barometer 29.70, the air exceedingl}- sul- 

 try, and incessant flashes of lightning in every 

 direction. At 1.40 a.m., 3d inst., started 

 ahead, course north, and ran under moderate 

 speed till 11.05 a.m., when, wind and sea hav- 

 ing moderated, we sounded in 1,028 fathoms, 

 globigerina ooze, — latitude 39° 22' north, lon- 

 gitude 08° 34' 30" west, — and at 12.13 p.m. 

 put the beam-trawl over, veering to 2,300 

 fathoms. There was still a fresh breeze from 

 north-west, with heavy swell and ver}' strong 

 stream. The trawl was down at 1.59, dragged 

 till 3.08, and was landed at 4.25 p.m. There 

 were some interesting specimens, but most of 

 the things were washed out of the net on the 

 way up. [Station 2,100.] 



