(VPiisions. vn^ used foi- lioi'^tiii^ cai'so 
Iroiu the forpluilii; but on tliw ocPii.sitiii 
was to Iip iisaii for tlia (liciljfing. This 
not oiilv allovveil the dredge line to he 
towed '‘U-ar of the steamer, hut also en¬ 
abled us lo have ll'.e heavy-loaded dredKe 
lu isted up above the bulwarks, and low¬ 
ered on to tlie fore deek wilhoul any un¬ 
due exertion on our part. The deep sea 
liiedge was shii’-kleo on with a swivel to 
prevent the line from twisting up. this 
ilredoe differed greatly from the ordinary 
idea of dredges.’ It is a eoiiieal affair, a 
taperiii" roitnj iron hiiekei, aboii! lift, 
long, and ahouf tUt. aeross (he mouth (or 
bro.id emit, laperin|r down to a point at 
the bottom and iiarfly--tlneed in front 
with a broad rim. secured itr,place with 
three bolts and nuls. Tlii.s ve^ueed the 
(])eiiii,g hy a halt, preventing tlm .sand 
,Mid (lebris from wasliiiig out again; To 
tlie lower i nil of this, like tlie tail to a 
kite was fastened a small dredge of the 
usual (mttern at the end of Ihil. or .rOft> 
<,f rope, and finally a "lib. weight was 
iastenetl to the wire rojie in front of 
tile hiieket dredge to make it "liite.” 
The deeji-sea soiiiuliiig line was wound 
np readv, the liollow at llie liottom of the 
great l''ad'->.i sinker filied witli soap to 
filing up a "sample” of tlie sea lloor 
i'x'ear by were tlie sieves, and the round 
galMniispii non tiih. partly filled with 
water, ready for sitting the sand bro iglit 
up. Nor must mention he omilled ot tlir 
array of lioxes and tins and sperimeii 
jais' , 
"More than two miles out; lets try 
l eri” Tlie engines were stoiiped, reveis- 
(sl tV cheel: th..' vessel’s "way." the little 
dredge thrown over, and the line paiil 
out. ‘ Then the elatter of the steam 
wiiieh, .uid over went the bucket dredge 
too. and, ballasted by the small dredge 
hanging tram its lower end, lloated aw.i.‘,‘ 
l.noyintlv astern. vigorous tu.g on tile 
line siiamnel it, and away the two 
dredges vent nii tlieir mission below, the 
ves-el, ill "aplain If. llolyman's able 
hands, "haeking" or going ahead, as neeii- 
f*iori .NToitiiu hile Vftniiilcers 
(g*»r( nilly tbf sUipper) “h jvf tho loi.d.” 
Hnt ill Mitil' water. ihj lioavy 
>iiik(*r. il would soinotiiiies trail away 
astern, u-^eles^i as ah inrli'-ation of Itie 
(iepth. Tliei. it woulrl be liaulod up. and 
a more .suecessful “ea-«t’' innile. on tluH 
ocraf.inii }»i\iii!^ us -lO fathouis. widi u 
‘‘eniallv’' bottor:. Then we waifr-d. 
walehiiijt tbe thin taut line stretahiiig 
frnrp tbe de'^vicli i>\'(*rliea<l ii> tbe sen a^- 
tc'fii, and the Kooni'i.kiina rolled bisiiiy 
iiloiig. broadsiilo (Ui to tlie sea. drifting 
quite fa-^t enough for the work without 
avsi'tanro trun llu* seriw. 
il wao a heautifully fine <hiy. with a 
light ^vi\ l)rc-o::o from the soutli. and 
enougli r.ill to convince us that we won* 
really "on the <.»pou sea," and to make 
•iome of us iimvomfoi taiile too. The line 
of j»rat-ne coast liortt- and sooth ol us. 
brolvon and rugged, wais both grand and 
beautiful, with the clear sky overhead, 
a’td lliat beautiful bine sea .at the toot 
of the led-br-iwn granite eliff.s. 
iiut it’s time to liave the dredges up— 
and the steam-winca clattemj noisily, 
winding in rne long length of line; while 
Wf. walclied 'in a cloud of -steam) for the 
dredge, it a]rpea!‘S at last, and is hoisted 
aiKkvo the level of the bulwarks. Some 
,iho catches at the i'ottom rope, sending 
a gallon ui- two of water, splashing down 
o'l us from the tilled bucket. (And I may 
icmark after that little experience, we 
were more caretul how wo cauglit it.i The 
Im -kot dredge ivas guided in, lowered, 
and .stood against th-* bulwarks. It was 
two-tbirds lull of sand; but before we at¬ 
tended to that, the little dredge (hanging 
fr(‘m the bucket dredget bad to be got in. 
\ViIling baiid.^. hauling oii the r<>pu. soon 
brrmghi n in sight, >.'itli its trail of sand 
behind, for the stuff in this dredge gets 
practTiuilly sifted in I’-s long passage from 
tiie riepths below, the majority of the 
sand getting washed out throngli the 
meshes of flie net, nnd as we lift it over 
the bnlaarks a criistacean will be seen, 
or the long arms of sc.me cuHoii'i creature 
a! rhestar-fidi fan.il>, struggling from 
the debris of fiagmeiitarv conil and 
uioken shells. The dredge is iminediutely 
(‘iiipfied on to the rleek, and eager bands 
.-^(•ize the variou* treasures, each man. fol- 
lowuig his own "lino." taking that which 
flea>etb him best. .\nd the circle, clus- 
rer(‘d over tha”: little liean of wet sand 
.ind “i-ubbi.-h." had eyes ‘nr noibing else, 
until till* "b.iiiV was nicked over! 
Then tlie bucket-dredge l■ecei\ed its 
slinie of attention, 'rbe wrench was pro- 
cHueil. the (lirec nuts unscieved. allowing 
tlje inner nm to be rmioved, tlie dredge 
"up-ended," and The «ind deposited in a 
heap on deck. .\ shoved, borrowed from 
tin- engine-iaom. passed the sand into the 
sieve, to lies^'ted out in the tub of water, 
and although at first it would appear to 
b‘ alino.st ^‘clcaii" ^aiul. yet the siftings 
were, of course, the s-aine as brought np 
)),v the other dredge n ninly fragmentary 
I’olyzoa mix •(! with shells. 'Phe design 
ol the bucket-dredge was to scoop up a 
Thin slice i»f the sea-floor, and so secure 
stjcciniens that biniow, as well as the 
more oi^inary iiiliabitaiifs of the bottom 
of tlie sea. Tlie siftings in cneb sieve 
would be picked over roughly; then, if 
llnuight wurthv another examination, 
would bo bagged, nnd labelled at what 
depth taken. propoition of the losiclue, 
the sediment in the iKttom of the tub, 
nas sifted again, (his time through a fine 
hair ^ie\e, and the finer siftings also hag¬ 
gl’d ami la!b(‘l!ed. to yield minute species 
Ol rhells to fill lire searching 
While the dredged material ivas being 
