THE CRUISE OF 1903 FROM VALENTIA TO THE FAEROE 

 BANKS AND ORKNEY. 



On June 10, 1903, the Silver Belle left Valentia with a light breeze 

 from north-east, overcast sky, and falling barometer, and a swell at 

 sea growing bigger, with increasing wind. On reaching the station 



EL " in Lat. 51° 56' N., Long. 11° 21' W., the weather was really too bad for 

 work. A sounding gave 120 fathoms, with a bottom temperature of 

 102° C. Bad weather continued through the night, but improved 

 at daylight next da} r , and settled down into a fine, warm day, and, 

 sounding in 130 fathoms, the closing-net was put down to 125 and 

 then 60 fathoms, getting a lot of stuff at each haul. Water samples 

 were also taken. 



E2. ' ' Sailing and drifting about thirty-three miles west by north during 



the night, as daylight came the wind and sea grew worse. At 4 a.m., 

 sounding with wire and a 56-pound lead, bottom was struck at 560 

 fathoms, the line 'plumb' straight, the position being Lat. 51° 46', 

 Long. 12° 15'. The closing-net was put down, which, with wire 

 and 56-pound weight attached to the bottom of the frame, weighed 

 over 2 cwt. ; the line stood quite straight, and hauls were made 

 from 550, 400, 300, 200, and 100 fathoms, and water samples at 

 every 100 fathoms from 500. The weather completely breaking, 

 and sea and wind growing gradually worse, work in deep water was 

 almost out of the question. The ship was therefore put back to 

 Valentia to wait for an improvement. There she remained until 

 June 18, when a start was again made for deep water. Twenty 

 miles west of the Skelligs it came on to blow hard, with a falling 

 barometer, and this continued all the next day (Friday), but Saturday 



Station £ e j| quite calm, and the consequence of this was that the ship never 



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