310 PAUMOTU GROUP. 



southeast half a mile per hour, and directly against the wind. Our 

 latitude was 15° 35' S. 



Until the 29th we had moderate breezes. The current this day was 

 found east-northeast, one-third of a mile per hour. At 9 p. m. the wind 

 came from the west. This evening we had a beautiful display of the 

 zodiacal light. It was very bright; its altitude was 25°; the upper 

 part of the cone was not well marked, and its apex was not defined ; 

 the breadth of its base was 30°. A fair breeze from the southwest con- 

 tinued all the next day, when we had reached the longitude of 113° 29' 

 W., and latitude 17° 36' S. 



On the 31st, we passed over the locality of an island marked on the 

 charts of Arrow smith. Although we ran over its position with the 

 squadron spread so as to cover an extent of thirty-five miles in latitude, 

 and on its parallel for several degrees, lying-to at night, nothing what- 

 ever was seen to indicate land ; and we therefore believe that it does 

 not exist. 



On the 4th of August, the current was found north one-third of a 

 mile per hour. 



Temperature at surface, 

 50 fathoms below surface, 

 100 " " " 



200 " " " 



300 " 



75° 



74 



73£ 



61 



50 



On the 5th, the current was two-thirds of a mile per hour, to the 

 north-northeast. 



The winds on the parallel of 18° S., cannot well be termed "the 

 Trades," for at this time of the year they will be found very variable, 

 though prevailing generally from the eastern quarter, with a long swell 

 from the southwest. The upper stratum of clouds were generally seen 

 flying from the southwest. The deep-sea temperature on the 6th, at 

 three hundred and fifty fathoms depth, was 46°, surface 77°. 



The 7th proved a calm and fine day, throughout which experiments 

 were made hourly to ascertain the depth at which a white object could 

 be seen ; the altitude of the sun was taken at each observation, and 

 also the force and direction of the current. The temperature of the 

 water at one hundred fathoms was 75°, whilst that of the surface was 

 77°. We were in longitude 125° W., latitude 18° 14' S. 



The nights of the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th, the meteoric showers 

 were looked for, the officers and naturalists keeping watch, each 

 quarter of the heavens being under vision at the same time. On the 

 8th, upwards of one hundred shooting stars were seen ; but the nights 



