34 
CRUISE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 
temperatures and soundings, between Teneriffe and 
Palma, and past Gromera and Hierro. Considerable 
depths were found, varying from 200 to 1700 
fathoms ; as a rule discovering a dark sandy bottom 
and dead shells. 
Three days had thus been spent when we again 
anchored off Santa Cruz, and, as we were to leave 
the next day, H. B. Majesty’s Consul issued in- 
vitations to a ball in honour of the visit of the 
Challenger. The weather was fine, and a large party 
started from the ship, arriving at the consulate in 
good time to find all the available Spanish beauty 
there to meet us. The ball was a very capital one, 
but the great drawback was our being unable to 
converse fluently with our partners when dancing. 
For all that the eye, whose language is so deep and 
expressive, the organ which the Spanish ladies culti- 
vate to such perfection, did all. What the heart felt 
and the tongue could not utter the eye interpreted. 
The company was not, however, entirely Spanish. 
The Consul’s daughter, and Mrs. G-rattan, the 
American Consul’s daughter, and an English lady, 
married to the Minister of Marine, were there to 
interpret our most pressing wishes and entertain us 
with their company. 
It was not until the early hours of the following 
morning that the pleasant gathering broke up, and 
we all retraced our wa y to the landing-place to get 
on board. 
