1869.] 



on the Scientific Exploration of the Deep Sea. 



419 



Introduction (§ 8) as having severely tested the efficiency of our donkey- 

 engine ; which, however, proved equal to its work, and landed on our deck 

 half a ton of Globigerina-ooze, here showing very little intermixture with 

 sand. Like our similar haul at Station xvi. last year, however, this mass 

 contained but a small amount of the higher forms of Annimal life ; and as 

 a continuance of our course still further west did not seem likely to furnish 

 any additional results of importance, and as there would have been a risk 

 of exhausting our coal in steaming against a head-wind, we thought it 

 better to change our course towards Stornoway, taking a direction that 

 should bring us again on the ground which we had previously found 

 most productive. In the afternoon of the same day we took another 

 Sounding in Lat. 59° 26' and Long. 8° 23', on the line of our outward track 

 in the second part of the * Lightning' cruise last year, so as to establish 

 the depth and temperature at an intermediate point between two distant 

 stations ; and we here (Station 88) found the depth to be 705 fathoms, 

 and the bottom-temperature 42°* 6, thus showing a close accordance with 

 the nearest Soundings previously taken. 



85. Continuing our easterly course during the night, but making slightly 

 to the northward, so as once more to come upon the Ho!te?iia-ground, we 

 sounded early the next morning (Sept. 7) in Lat. 59° 38', Long. 7° 46' ; 

 and found (Station 89) that the depth had diminished to 4-15 fathoms, 

 whilst the temperature had risen to 45 0, 6, — thus confirming by bottom- 

 soundings the inference we had been led to draw from the serial soundings 

 taken at Station 87, that the influence of the frigid stream is exerted even 

 in the Warm area at depths greater than 500 fathoms, in depressing the 

 temperature of the body of water which it there meets, and with which it 

 mixes. Another Sounding taken after a further run of 7 miles in the 

 same direction, which brought us very near to Station 49, gave a similar 

 depth and temperature ; but the character of the bottom now indicated 

 the proximity of the Cold area, the Gloligerina-ooze being here mingled 

 with Sand. 



86. We now changed our course to the S.E., and after steaming 

 about ten miles, put down our dredge with its "hempen tangles" upon 

 what we were assured by Capt. Calver was the spot (as nearly as it could 

 be determined) upon which we had made the first deep-sea dredging in 

 this Cruise (§61) ; and the result of this last visit to our favourite ground 

 was such as to surpass our most sanguine expectations. For the dredge 

 and the tangles alike came up laden with such a collection of the " trea- 

 sures of the deep/' as we feel quite safe in asserting had never before been 

 brought to the surface on any one occasion, — almost every specimen being 

 such as would be accounted an important acquisition to Museums already 

 most complete. Holtenias there were by the bucketful ; Hyalonemata 

 (one of them a new species) with their "flint-rope" covered with the pa- 

 rasitic Palythoa, and bearing at their summit the living Sponge of which 

 the " flint-rope " constitutes the radix ; the beautiful Tisiphonia, or mush- 



