Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 1.djvu/70

4 breeze over the blue waves of the ocean, fairly embarked in the enterprise we had all so long desired to commence, and freed from the anxious and tedious operations of our protracted but requisite preparation.

The daily, almost hourly, observations of various kinds, from which so large a measure of useful and important results were expected, were now reduced into a practical system, and immediately entered upon with eager zeal and diligence by the officers of the Expedition.

During our passage across the Bay of Biscay we had no favourable opportunity of determining the height of its waves, as we experienced no violent storm: we had, however, a very rough and awkward sea, occasioned by a strong south-westerly breeze, and mixing confusedly with the long rolling northwesterly swell peculiar to this bay. The highest waves we measured scarcely exceeded thirty-six feet from their base to their summit; the velocity of their motion and their distance apart could not be determined without the presence of another vessel.

We availed ourselves of every opportunity of trying for soundings, but without finding the bottom with from three to six hundred fathoms of line. The specific gravity of the water we found to be 1.0278 at the surface, and the same to the depth of three hundred fathoms, although it was from ten to fifteen degrees colder than at the surface. In lat. 48° 20′ N. and long. 8° 0′ W. we passed through one of those very remarkable luminous patches that have been