[11] WORK OF STEAMER ALBATROSS) 381 



our course, anchoring in Port Castries, island of Santa Lucia, at 11.08 

 a. m., November 29. 



A boat was sent for the United States consular agent, Mr. William 

 Peter, who visited the ship, and later in the day accompanied Prof. 

 L. A. Lee and myself in an official call on the governor of the island, to 

 whom we paid our respects, and of whom we obtained permission for 

 the naturalists to make collections. 



We coaled ship December 3, taking on board 104 tons of excellent 

 Welsh coal, 29 tons being stowed in bags on the deck. As a coaling 

 station Port Castries has many advantages, and when the harbor im- 

 provements in progress are completed it will have no superior iu the 

 West Indies. The United States consular agent placed us under many 

 obligations by his advice and assistance. 



Santa Lucia to Bahia, Brazil. — At 7.50 a. m., December 4, we left the 

 beautiful little harbor of Port Castries for Bahia, Brazil, and at merid- 

 iau of the same day cast the trawl in 281 fathoms black sand (latitude 

 13° 34' N., longitude 61° 04' W.), midway between the islands of Santa 

 Lucia and St. Vincent. It caught on rough bottom before it had 

 dragged a fathom, but on getting it on board some very fine specimens 

 were found fastened to the net, among them a small stemless sea lily, 

 Antedon, corals, etc. It was evidently no grouud for a trawl, so we 

 lowered the tangles, and they had a rough time of it, but brought up 

 numerous specimens of pennatulus, antedons, ophiurans, gorgonians, 

 corals, etc. One little spray of vermilion coral attracted attention. 

 Black fish, porpoises, and flying fish were plentiful, and numerous sea 

 birds were observed feeding in the tide rips and eddies between the 

 islands. The weather was warm, but pleasant, with light winds and 

 smooth sea. 



We cast the trawl at meridian, December 5, in 880 fathoms, ooze 

 (latitude 11° 40' K, longitude 58° 33' W.), landing it on deck at 3.10 

 p. m., with numerous archasters, holothurians, a variety of crustaceans, 

 mollusks, etc., many of them apparently being similar to those taken 

 by us on the Atlantic coast of the United States. The surface net was 

 used with moderate success, several specimens of young fish, crusta- 

 ceans, etc., being taken. 



December 6 was marked by variable winds and frequent rain squalls. 

 At meridian we sounded in 2,069 fathoms, ooze (latitude 9° 47' N., lon- 

 gitude 55° 51' W.), and proceeded on our course after a detention of 

 forty-five minutes. 



The trawl was cast at meridian, December 7, in 720 fathoms, blue 

 mud (latitude 8° 04' K, longitude 52° 47' W.), and was landed on deck 

 at 2.33— a water haul, notwithstanding more than ordinary precautions 

 had been taken to insure success. The depth increased probably before 

 the trawl was down ; at least that is the only way I can account for the 

 failure. 



Easterly winds and squally weather continued and every thing above 



