I.— THE HYDROGRAPHY OF THE FAEROE-SHETLAND 

 CHANNEL. 



By H. N. Dickson, M.A., D Sc. 



(Reprinted 'from the ' Geographical Journal 'for April, 1903.) 



During the summer months of 1900, 1901, and 1902, the cutter-yacht 

 Walwin, belonging to Dr. R. Norris AVolfenden, was engaged in 

 scientific research, under the owner's direction, in the channel between 

 the Shetland and Faeroe Islands. The physical investigations consisted 

 in (1) observations of temperature, for which Negretti and Zambra's 

 reversing thermometers, Knudsen's modified form of the same, and 

 the ordinary Miller-Casella instrument, were employed, sometimes 

 separately, usually together for purposes of control ; and (2) the 

 collection of samples of water by means of Mill's slip water-bottle. 

 Dr. Wolfenden has been good enough to entrust the working out of 

 the observations to me, and I may be permitted at the outset to express 

 the opinion that the way in which they have been made, in a region 

 where work of the kind is always difficult and arduous, and under 

 conditions in many ways unfavourable, reflects the greatest credit on 

 Captain Biichan Henry and his crew. The labours of the Walwin 

 have provided a unique series of pictures of the conditions occurring 

 in the Channel, representing successive stages in the march of exceed- 

 ingly complex phenomena with sufficient accuracy, and none of the 

 modern expensive apparatus has been employed in the work, which 

 was carried on from a small cutter of only 36 tons. 1 



1 Some of the 1902 observations were made on the owner's second boat, the Silver 

 Belle, a yawl of 130 tons. Dr. Wolfenden states that for all practical purposes the 

 work is as easy to accomplish from the smaller boat. The lai-ger the tonnage the 

 greater the amount of wind required to sail the ship, and a good ' sailing breeze 1 is 

 often too strong for satisfactory working of the instruments. 



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