Extracts from the Log of the 1904 Cruise 37 



snapped about 12 fathoms from the surface, and away went not only 

 the sounding- lead, but one of our best thermometers. Samples of 

 water were taken at every 100 fathoms, and tubes filled for analysis. 

 The strong current and wind, both in one direction, took the ship 

 rapidly eastwards. The closing-net was put down, and good hauls 

 made from 360, 300, 200, and 100 fathoms. 



On August 22, with a nice light breeze from west, and strong current 44. 

 going south-south-east, the ship was hove to in Lat. 35° 45' N., Long. 

 3° 41' W., and a sounding made in 840 fathoms grey ooze ; and water 

 and gas samples were taken from 800 fathoms. Then it was necessary 

 to crowd on all sail to sail down the current, which was taking the ship 

 fast to the south-east. The water-bottle sent down to 700 fathoms 

 just touched bottom, but the sail enabled the ship to keep her ground 

 better, so that it was possible to take water and gas samples from 

 600 fathoms at successive hundreds to the surface. Tow-nettings 

 were also made at 600, 500, 400, 300, 200, and 100 fathoms, all with 

 excellent results. Leaving this station on August 22, and after 

 beating to windward against wind and current all night and next day, 

 at 8 p.m. only ahead of Gibraltar, the anchor was dropped at 8 a.m. 

 next morning at Tarifa for three hours, the wind having entirely 

 dropped. A nice breeze from the west springing up, the ship lay over 

 to leeward of Tangiers, which was reached at 3 p.m., when again it 

 fell calm, and, dodging close to the rocks to keep out of the tide for 

 fear of getting carried back through the straits, at 6 p.m. a breeze 

 sprang up. Dodging about under Cape Spartel until daylight, at 

 6 a.m., a sounding gave 250 fathoms, Lat. 35° 53' N., Long. 5° 52' W.; ^ atl0n 

 gas and water samples were taken here. The notes recorded here 

 give an idea of the difficulty of navigating the straits in a sailing-ship. 

 The day the Silver Belle left Gibraltar three barques were passed 

 dodging to the east of Gibraltar, waiting for wind to get to the west- 

 ward, and when the yacht returned three days after they were 

 still there ! 



Lying most of August 25 becalmed, sometimes gaining, sometimes ^* atl0n 

 losing ground, a smart breeze from the east at last carried the ship 



