346 Beep Sea Soundings. 



Captcain H. Denham, F.R.S., on Deep Sea Soundings 



obtained in lat 36° 49' #., long. 37.°6 W. 

 The following extracts from a letter received from Captain 

 H. M. Denham, dated H.M.S. Herald, 29th of November 

 1852, Table Bay, Cape of Good Hope, give the results of 

 some interesting experiments on the depth and temperature 

 of the sea in the South Atlantic Ocean. The position, it will 

 be seen, is in about the parallel of the mouth of the river 

 Plata, and about half way between the American continent 

 and Tristan d'Acunha. We have recorded similar experi- 

 ments of Captain Sir James Ross, Sir Edward Belcher, and 

 Captain E. Barnett. This, however, is far beyond any of 

 theirs. 



The following are references to our volumes for accounts 

 of deep soundings : 



1840— pp. 347, 507, Sir James Ross, 2426, 27° 4' S., 17° 

 5' W. ; 2677, 33° 3' S., 9° V E. 



1843— p. 796, Sir E. Belcher, 3065, 0° 4' N., 10° 6' W. ; 

 1620, 4° 2' S., 9° 6' W. 



1849— p. 121, Captain Barnett, 41° 2' N., 44° 3' W. ; 3700 

 attempted, broke for want of more by effects of current. 

 1850 — p. 699, American soundings, East of Bermuda. 

 1851— p. 275, Lieut. Gouldsborough, U.S.N., 3100, 28° 3' 

 S., 29° 3' W. ; p. 433, Commander J. Adams, from a New 

 York paper, but un authenticated by any other document we 

 have seen, deepest being 5500 fathoms, in 32° 1' N., 44° 8' W. 

 H.M.S. Herald, as follows (7706 fathoms), obtained in 

 lat. 36° 49' S., long. 37° 6' W., on her exploring voyage to the 

 South Seas, under the command of Captain H. M. Denham, 

 RR.S. 30th October 1852. 



The following is the extract of the letter referred to : — 

 " We reached the lat. of 36° 49' S„ and long. 37° 6' W., on 

 the 30th of October, when the fineness of the weather per- 

 mitted me to employ the 15,000 fathoms of sounding line 

 which Commodore M'Keever, of the United States Navy, had 

 very generously presented to me, and we had the gratification 

 of obtaining the (I believe) unprecedented sounding of 7706 

 fathoms, equal to 8J English miles, the particulars of which 

 I have tabulated as enclosed. 



