of Edinburgh, Session 1881-82. 
647 
ing was a somewhat barren one. As our observations showed us to 
be ten miles from the £< Holtenia ground,” we steamed to the north- 
ward, and trawled again in lat. 59° 37' N., long. 7° 19' W. The 
trawling here was rather more successful. We also obtained a serial 
temperature at every 50 fathoms down to 500 fathoms. 
In the evening the dredge was put over for the night, the weather 
being fine. 
On Tuesday the 12th, at 5 a.m., the dredge was hove up, and was 
found to be full of ooze, while to the tangles were attached numerous 
echini and starfishes. The ship’s coal now running short we returned 
to Stornoway to replenish. 
Fourth Trig. 
We left Stornoway on Monday the 16tli of August, and proceeded 
to Rona Island, carrying out a line of soundings. We stopped on 
the east side of Rona, and observing little break upon the shore, 
landed for a short time. The landing place is on the eastern side of 
the northern point of the island, where a narrow spur of moderate 
height projects from the higher land. It is at the entrance of a small 
cavern, faced by a series of natural steps, which were, in all proba- 
bility, formerly used when Rona was inhabited. 
The remains of a dwelling are visible in the immediate vicinity 
of the landing place. 
The rock of Rona is composed of Laurentian gneiss, but here and 
there we gathered some fragments of Cambrian sandstone evidently 
washed up by the sea (see page 657). The power of the waves is here 
magnificently illustrated ; all along the western side of this northern 
projecting point, at a height of over 50 feet above the level of the 
sea, is a line of stones, some of them of considerable size, which have 
evidently been forced up the face of the sloping cliffs during westerly 
gales. 
The island is covered with rich turf, upon which were grazing a 
considerable number of sheep. There were numerous sea-birds on 
the cliffs, and several seals were seen near the shore. 
On the western side of the projecting point on which we 
landed is a deep cavern, which extends to such a depth as to 
point to the probability of a breach being made in the not distant 
