NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE. 
801 
CHAPTER XIX. 
Tahiti to Juan Fernandez — Manganese Nodules, Sharks’ Teeth, Zeolites, and Cosmic Spherules in the Deposits of the 
Central South Pacific— The Stomatopoda — Historical Account of Juan Fernandez — Physical Features — Botany 
and Zoology — The Nemertea — Juan Fernandez to Valparaiso — The Foraminifera — Valparaiso — The Copepoda 
and Ostracoda. 
Tahiti to Juan Fernandez. 
On the 3rd October the anchor was weighed and the ship steamed out of Papiete 
Harbour, the band playing the Tahitian National Air, a quick and lively jig which is 
characteristic of the place, and sets the Tahitians dancing at once ; it is popular with 
the French also, and as the Challenger entered Valparaiso Harbour the band on board 
a French man-of-war struck up this tune as a greeting to recall the gaiety of the beautiful 
island left behind. 
When outside Papiete Harbour the ship was swung to ascertain the errors of the com- 
pass and dipping needle, after which a southerly course was shaped to clear the baffling 
winds between Tahiti and Eimeo Islands, before sail was made. The ship stood to the 
southward until the trade wind was lost on the parallel of 22° S., when, picking up a fresh 
S.W. wind for four days, the vessel was steered to the S.E., and on the 10th October 
lat. 27° 39' S., long. 142° 47' W. was reached. The wind then shifted to the westward 
and northward, and the S.E. course was continued until the 14th, when the ship was 
in lat. 32° 36' S., long. 137° 43' W., from which position light southerly to easterly 
winds were experienced until the 40th parallel was crossed on the meridian of 133° W. 
The wind then varied from S.S.E. to S.W. and W. until the 29th October, and the ship 
stood to the eastward, keeping on the 39th parallel to the meridian of 113° W., when 
the wind shifted to W. and N.W. and then N.N.E. on the meridian of 100° W, Light 
easterly winds were then experienced for four days, after which northerly and north- 
easterly breezes prevailed until the ship arrived at Valparaiso (see Sheet 38). These 
northerly winds off the coast of South America were quite unexpected and were very 
unusual, the prevailing wind in the month of November being southerly. 
The sounding and temperature observations were uniformly successful. The section 
has been divided into two parts : — 1st, from Tahiti to the parallel of 40° S., and 2nd, 
from a position in lat. 40° 3' S., long. 132° 58' W., towards Mocha Island on the coast 
of Chili (see Diagrams 19 and 20). 
The bed of the ocean from Tahiti to the parallel of 40° S. shows a descent to 2450 
fathoms at a distance, of 375 miles from Tahiti, then a rise to 2000 fathoms, and 
