[19] 



FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 531 



fathoms; and 4 days from the Boniu Islands to Yokohama, during which 12 casts were 

 made, the deepest in 2,435 fathoms. After a short delay at Yokohama, the "Tusca- 

 rora" proceeded to finish the northern line of soundings, via the Aleutian Islands and 

 Cape Flattery, which occupied the time from June 9 to August 21. Very many casts 

 were made, and exceedingly deep water (the deepest recorded from the Pacific or any 

 other ocean) was encountered off the northeast coast of Japan, at only a compara- 

 tively short distance from land, very many of the soundings showing depths below 

 4,000 fathoms, the deepest being 4,655 fathoms. This cruise of the "Tuscarora" wasone 

 of the most, if not the most, remarkable one ever undertaken for sounding purposes, 

 and demonstrated to the fullest extent the superior advantages of steel wire, when 

 rightly applied, over any kind of rope or twine for taking deep-sea soundings. The 

 advantages gained are greater rapidity in working and greater accuracy of results, 

 while the diminished space required for the storage of the wire and machine is also a 

 matter of grave consideration. 



Since the successful cruise of Captain Belknap, the Thomson principle of sounding 

 with wire has been universally adopted for all deep-sea sounding operations by the 

 United States Navy and Coast Survey. In connection with his soundings, Captain Bel- 

 knap made a continuous series of oceanic temperature observations at the bottom and 

 Biirface, with Miller-Casella thermometers, and obtained abundant specimens of the 

 bottom by means of an improved sounding rod of his own invention (described in 

 the catalogue), and also many samples of water for analysis. 



The " Tuscarora" returned to San Francisco on the anniversary of her departure 

 from there to begin the northern line from Cape Flattery, and in the meantime she 

 had traversed some 16,600 miles of ocean and made 483 casts by means of the sound- 

 ing wire. Subsequently, under other commanders, the " Tuscarora " run aline of 

 soundings from San Francisco to Honolulu, and another from Honolulu to Australia. 

 Still later the same kind of apparatus was used by the U. S. S. " Narragansett," in the 

 Gulf of California; by the "Gettysburg" in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean ; 

 by the "Alaska," en route around the Horn; and by the "Essex," in the South At- 

 lantic. The "Gettysburg" obtained the deepest sounding but one yet recorded from 

 the Atlantic Ocean (the deepest having been made by the " Challenger") ; while the 

 " Essex " has made the deepest known from the South Atlantic. 



To turn from the subject of sounding wire to that of deep-sealeads or sinkers, it is 

 evident that to the American Navy is due one of the most important inventions in that 

 line also. In 1854, Fassed-Midshipman (now Professor) J. M. Brooke, United States 

 Navy, devised the detachable sinker, bearing his name, for use inconsiderable depths 

 of water, and which is released the moment it touches bottom, relieving the strain 

 on the rope, and permitting of the recovery of a sample of the bottom by means of a 

 light iron rod which loosely perforates the sinker. The latter consists simply of a 

 solid iron shot, of the desired weight, with a cylindrical hole through the center for 

 holding the sounding rod, to the upper part of which it is securely slung on the pass- 

 age downward. The sinkers still used by the United States Navy and Coast Survey 

 in deep-sea work are of the Brooke pattern, but the sounding rods and the method of 

 securing the shot have been greatly improved by Captain Belknap and Commander 

 Sigsbee, in the manner described in the catalogue. Another ingenious detaching 

 sinker, which has been used to some extent in the Navy, was invented by Lieutenant 

 (now Rear -Admiral) Sands, United States Navy, in 1857, and one of the most com- 

 mon leads for recovery in use is furnished with a cup for obtaining bottom specimens, 

 introduced by Lieutenant Stellwagen, of the same service. 



Want of space, however, forbids our continuing this discussion of the sounding 

 operations and methods of our Navy, which might be extended to cover many inter- 

 esting explorations under both the old and new systems of work. Suffice it to say 

 that this department of the service has always displayed the most liberal spirit in 

 regard to zoological research, and has in many small as well as great ways contributed 

 to our knowledge of the fauna of the oceans wherever its ships have gone. The bot- 



