348 Deep Sea Soundings. 



times, and after it had renewed its descent with the same 

 velocity it had^done during the last hundred fathoms, it landed 

 on each occasion abruptly to the original mark to a fathom, 

 and would not take a turn more off the reel. By its parting 

 at 140 fathoms from the surface, we lost a Six's thermometer, 

 which I had bent on at 3000 fathoms. With the remainder 

 of the line I have obtained some 500' s, when our own lines 

 could not have been employed to that extent ; and on two 

 occasions between Tristan d'Acunha and this (Cape of Good 

 Hope), I obtained 900 and 1500 fathoms with thermometers 

 attached, saving them each time, and shewing that 40° is the 

 minimum temperature after 200, where it averages 50 and 

 52, no matter what the surface temperature may be. 1 have 

 still 5000 fathoms to play upon, before reeling up spunyarn 

 again, which from our junk I had done to the length of 8 

 miles before I had the present." 



We have no doubt the worthy Commodore will be much 

 gratified with this disposal of his line. We need scarcely 

 assure him that such generous marks of friendly feeling can- 

 not fail to be appreciated, and particularly so when it is con- 

 sidered that he was giving away the means by which he him- 

 self might have gained the credit of finding the greatest depth 

 of the ocean yet attained. But noble minds are above such 

 personalities. The bottom was reached, and that was suffi- 

 cient. 



We shall leave our readers to form their own conclusions 

 on the experiment, as to the up and down depth, as a seaman 

 would say. But we may add, that although the experiment 

 was made in a favourable part of the South Atlantic Ocean, 

 we cannot suppose it possible that the ship would remain for 

 the nine hours during which it lasted in a vertical position 

 immediately over the lead, although nothing is said by Cap- 

 tain Denham as to the direction in which the line grows as 

 the ship drifts while the operation is going forward, nor 

 whether the boats and the ship were separated by the effect 

 of any current. We by no means impugn the statement that 

 bottom was reached when 8-J- statute miles were out. but 

 should like to know whether or not some deduction should be 

 made for drift, and what that should be, before an up and 

 down depth can be asserted. — Ed. N. M. 



