Cruise of 1903 from Valentia to the Faeroe Banks and Orkney 21 



A light north-west wind carried the ship to the next station j^£° n 

 at 8 p.m. on July 11, and at daylight, July 12, the position was Lat. 

 54° 50' N., Long. 12° 00' W. On this and some subsequent occasions a 

 Massey's sounding-machine was used, and compared with the fathom- 

 counter. The former struck bottom and registered 1,737 fathoms, 

 the latter only 1,577 fathoms. Massey's machine was evidently not 

 reliable in deep water. The closing-net put down to 1,000 fathoms 

 brought up a small quantity of stuff, and at 700 and 500 fathoms 

 about the same. From 400 fathoms the net was used at each 

 100 fathoms to the surface. Towards evening the ship had drifted 

 ahout a dozen miles, consequently the night was spent in beating to 

 windward to get back to the position, and at 4.30 a.m. on July 13 the 

 ship was hove to, and water samples were taken from 1,500 fathoms 

 upwards. The work at this station occupied two full days. 



Before the next station was reached, on July 16, four days had |^ ion 

 been spent with very dirty weather and very bad sea with a heavy 

 cross swell, impossible to work satisfactorily. The position was 

 Lat. 55° 17' N., Long. 12° 28' W., and bottom was struck at 1,561 

 fathoms. Massey's machine gave 1,645 fathoms, and the probable 

 explanation of this discrepancy is that after Massey's machine touches 

 the bottom, the ship rolling heavily, and the winch not being quick 

 enough to stop the lead from sinking a little with every roll, the 

 machine keeps registering, and the more the number of rolls and the 

 greater the length of time before the machine is hauled on board, the 

 greater the amount registered. A very simple device would cause the 

 machine to lock directly it struck bottom, and then it would be useful 

 and reliable. The water-bottle was put down to 1,500, 1,300, 1,100, and 

 every 100 fathoms to the surface. The work occupied fifteen hours. 

 During the night the ship had sailed about seven miles east-south-east 

 to make up for the driftage of the day and get back to the position, 

 and at 6 a.m. on July 17 she was hove to, and with a very fine 

 morning, and very light breeze from north-east, and a long, gentle 

 swell, the closing-net was put clown to 1,000 fathoms and towed for 

 twenty minutes, and brought up a good haul, chiefly Copepoda. The 



