352 



Part III. — Fifteenth Annual Report 



direction, than the lot at 300 miles did, in a northerly course ; but not 

 nearly so fast as the intermediate lot, which travelled N.E. by N. at the 

 rate of over fourteen miles a day. The prevailing winds at the Scaw 

 during October and November were S. by W. and S.W. ; in December 

 S. ; and in January 1897 N.N.E. 



Thus we see that the bottles set adrift in February and March 1895, at 

 138 anil 180 miles east of May Isle, were found south of the line, on the 

 coasts of Denmark and Sweden, with the exception of one, found nearly a 

 year afterwards far up the west coast of Norway ; in August 1896 those put 

 away at 130 and 250 miles were found in Norway; and in December all 

 those east of 200 miles were also found in the west and south-west coast 

 of Norway. None were recovered on the south coast of Norway, and the 

 only one found within the Skagerak was the one picked up near Mar- 

 strand in Sweden on 4th August. 



Behveen the Isle of May and Hamburg. 



Let us now compare the course of the drifters put away along the 

 line between the Isle of May and Hamburg. They were set adrift on 

 three occasions, as follows : — 



Date. 





Distance 



in Nautical Miles S.E. by E. of May Isle. 







13 



20 



30 



50 



60 



70 



100 



130 



150 



200 



250 



300 



350 



*15th, 16th August 

 1896, . . 



30 



25 



20 



20 





10 



10 



10 



20 



10 



20 



10 





*18th October 1896 

 23rd, 24th Decem- 

 ber 1896, . 





30 



30 



20 



20 



20 



30 

 20 



15 



20 



15 

 20 



20 

 20 



15 



20 



20 



Eight of the first series put away in August have been returned. 

 One, set adrift 30 miles from May Isle, was found at Blyth, Northumber- 

 land, 72 miles to the south, on 11th September, 27 days afterwards. 

 None of those from 50, 70, and 100 miles have yet been returned, but 

 members of the lots put away at 130, 150, 200, 250, and 300 mles have 

 been recovered. The earliest found was one set adrift on 16th August, 

 300 miles from May Isle, or about 65 miles from Heligoland. It was 

 picked up on one of the Whale Islands (Hvaloerne), on the south-east 

 side of Chris tiania Fjord, near the coast of Sweden, on the 29th Septem- 

 ber, 44 days after immersion, having travelled during that time 325 

 miles in a north-easterly direction, up the Danish coast and across the 

 Skagerrak. The next to be found was set adrift 200 miles from May 

 Isle, or about 170 miles from Heligoland, in the middle of the North Sea. 

 It was picked up ten miles east of Arendal, on the south coast of Norway, 

 within the Skagerrak, on the 21st October, having travelled about 296 

 miles N.E. by E. in the 66 days. Another of the same lot was found 

 in November (date not stated) on Malmo Isle, Lysekil, Goteborg, 

 Sweden. A third — a wooden slip — was found floating on 4th March 

 1897 in a small harbour on the Island Ramer, about nine miles east of 

 Christimsand, S. Norway. One of those put away further west, 'at 

 130 miles from May Isle, and, therefore, in the western part of the North 

 Sea, was found on 6th November at Algeroen, west of Bergen, Norway, 



* Mostly wooden drifters. 



