[13] WORK OF STEAMER ALBATROSS 383 



lowed by one with the small beam trawl, in 20 fathoms, coralline bot- 

 tom (latitude 6° 59' S. ; longitude 34° 47' W.). Several bright-colored 

 fishes were taken besides bryozoans, mollusks, corallines, and other 

 algae. The coralline bottom referred to is peculiar and deserving of 

 notice. It is composed of coarse sand and broken or disintegrated 

 mollusk shells, corallines, and bryozoans in equal quantities, often 

 consolidated into large nodules, which are covered with living corallines 

 and bryozoans. Occasionally small pebbles are scattered through the 

 deposit, angular in form, composed of quartz and feldspar, and cov- 

 ered with a deposit of lime, the same material which enters so largely 

 into the composition of the nodules before mentioned. Thus it will be 

 seen that the bottom is composed largely of vegetable growth. 



We passed the latitude of Cape St. Roque between 12 and 1 a. m. 

 on the 17th, were off Formosa at meridian, and passed Peruambnco later 

 in the day, when we kept off for Bahia, made all sail to a moderate SE. 

 trade and considered ourselves at the top of the hill, which we bad beeu 

 climbing since we left Santa Lucia, having encountered strong trades 

 dead ahead, with heavy seas and adverse currents, aggregating 270 

 miles on a daily average of 30 miles. 



The trawl was cast at 3.30 p. m., December 18, in 1,019 fathoms, brown 

 clay (latitude 12° 07' S.; longitude 37° 17' W.). Everything worked 

 smoothly until we began heaving in, when the trawl, buried in the 

 tenacious mud of the bottom, obstinately refused to come out until the 

 bridle stops parted, allowing it to come up tail first after disgorging its 

 load. There were a few specimens in the net, and the mud-bag and 

 ring-nets presented an interesting contrast in the uature of the bottom 

 deposits brought up. They had all been well buried in the mud, pre- 

 sumably passing through the same deposit, yet one contained a quan- 

 tity of coarse pteropod ooze and the other fine globigerina ooze, with 

 only here and there a pteropod shell. A Macrurus, unknown to us, 

 was among the few specimens in the trawl net ; there was a small star- 

 fish also, and a flat cup-coral, besides shrimps, sponges, etc. 



Numerous flocks of birds were observed following schools of surface 

 fish, and flying fish w r ere constantly scurrying away from the ship. 

 A noticeable quantity of conferva was seen iu the water during the 

 day, and a sufficient amount secured for examination. 



We arrived at Bahia, Brazil, at 8.50 a. in., December 19. The usual 

 visits were made and returned. One hundred and fifty-six tons of coal 

 were taken on board on the 22d, and at 6.50 p. in., December 25, we 

 got under way and proceeded to sea. 



Up to this time we had been using both boilers, with a consumption 

 of 10 to 12 tons of coal per day, which necessitated very light fires — so 

 light in fact that we thought it worth while to try the experiment of 

 one boiler burning as much coal as it would consume economically — 

 from 9 to 10 tons per day, and we left port with only one in use. 



