Scientific Intelligence.—Hydrology. 177 
have a very brilliant lustre. Nothing can be more exquisite than a 
fresh, cleanly fractured berg surface. It reminded me of the recent 
cleavage of sulphate of strontian,—a resemblance more striking from 
the slightly lazulitic tinge of each.—(The U.S. Grinnel expedition in 
search of Sir John Franklin.) 
3. The Middle Ice, the position of the best known whale fishing- 
ground.—The causes of this accumulation of ice, so disastrous to 
the navigation of the western and northern waters of the bay, may 
be attributed in some measure to the high latitudes leaving the ice 
as yet unaffected by the southerly and westerly influences to which 
I have alluded, and therefore more open to local causes of devia- 
tion, such as currents and winds. 
It is through this ice-clogged bay that the great fleets of Baffin 
whale ships have, for the last twirty-two years, made an annual at- 
tempt to pass. The mysticeta, driven from their feeding-grounds | 
on the coast of Greenland, have sought a refuge on the western side ; 
and their seats of favourite resort in the early part of the season are 
now in the waters of Lancaster, Prince Regent, and Wellington 
Sounds, and the indentations of the north-western coast of Baffin’s 
Bay. . The vessels which have succeeded in penetrating this inter- 
vening ice-barrier before August are more of a full cargo, but after 
this time all efforts are useless. The ‘fleet’ is spoken of as 
“baffled,”’ and is obliged to seek other “ grounds ” to the south and 
west. It is, in fact, a great lottery, the caprices of the ice con- 
trolling the efforts of the most daring ; and for the last two years 
or ‘* seasons” before our arrival, the whalers had completely failed 
in effecting a passage.—(Dr Elisha Kent Kane on the U. 8. Grinnel 
Expedition in search of Sir John Franklin.) 
HYDROLOGY. 
4. Notice of the Discovery of a Deep Sea Bank in the Examina- 
tion of the Gulf Stream.—On the 11th of June, Lieut.-Commander 
Craven, having crossed the Gulf Stream without finding bottom at 
1000 fathoms, came upon a sand bank at a depth of 469 fathoms, 
in lat. 28° 24’ N.; long. 79° 5’ W. It is supposed to be an ex- 
tension of the Bahama Banks. 
The following interesting remarks in regard to the nature of the 
bottom brought up, were made by Assistant L. F. Pourtales. M. 
Pourtales says,—‘*I have in hand specimens raised from the bottom 
of the Gulf Stream, obtained by Lieutenant Craven, and can say that 
they are the most interesting I have ever seen. You recollect that 
I said in my report that with the increase in depth (in the greater 
depths) the number of individuals appeared to increase. The 
greatest depth from which I had seen specimens was between 200 
and 300 fathoms. There the sand contained perhaps 50 per cent. 
VOL. LVII. NO. CXIII.—JULY 1854. M 
