Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 2.djvu/68

52 tried the temperature of the sea: at three hundred fathoms it was 49º.7; at one hundred and fifty fathoms 55º.8, and at the surface 59º, the specific gravity being 1.0274 at 60º.

Three sperm whales were seen, also a few flying fish, sooty albatross, and cape pigeons. At 8.20, "a bright meteor was observed to burst in the S.W., at an altitude of 20º, exhibiting a shower of beautifully variegated stars." It was also noticed on board the Terror, and is more circumstantially described in her log-book: "At 8.20, observed a brilliant meteor emerge from a dark cloud near the southern cross, at an altitude of 10º; it rose to the altitude of about 25º, and in descent showed five bright lights." Fifteen falling stars were seen between 10 and 11, at which time about one half of the hemisphere was obscured by clouds.

The wind had gradually declined during the morning until 9 o'clock, when, being very nearly calm, I took the only opportunity we yet had of trying the new self-registering thermometers that had been made at my request to stand a much greater pressure than those we had been at first supplied with, and which could never be safely sent to a greater depth than five hundred fathoms. We hove to at 9h. 20m. in lat. 33º 41′ S., long. 166º 23′ E., and tried for soundings with 820 fathoms, but without striking the ground. The temperature of the sea at 750 fathoms was 40º.4; at 600 fathoms, 42º.7; at 450 fathoms, 45º.6; at 300 fathoms, 49º.5; at