of lime forming the limestones of our globe? Hypothetically, it may be assumed that the change was effected by atmospheric carbonic acid, aided by concurrent mechanical agencies. Although perforating mollusks are living at great depths, I do not think that there are any grounds for apprehending that they would bore into a telegraph cable. I am also inclined to believe that there is little chance of a cable getting injured if laid down on foraminiferous bottoms; as in such places, vital and chemical actions appear to be going on so unceasingly and copiously, that a cable thus circumstanced could not but become covered in the course of a few years with organic accumulations. The survey has been fortunate in bringing to light some interesting facts in microscopic life. It has also made known some species of shells and other animals new to the British Fauna; besides extending our knowledge of the habitats of certain rare species. Rising not over-suddenly out of the "telegraph plateau" to within 85 fathoms of the surface of the ocean, at the distance of 120 miles from the south coast of Galway, and forming the most westerly "land-fall" on the Irish coast, occurs the newly discovered "Porcupine Bank." It consists of siliceous sand and coarsish gravel, the latter chiefly composed of sub-angular pieces of granular quartzite (? metamorphic), granite, chloritic quartz, &c.; along with which occur considerable quantities of the debris of Nullipores, shells, and other organisms. The larger rock-pieces, some of which are three or four inches in diameter, have often adhering to them fresh specimens of Truncatulina and various genera of Bryozoa; occasionally they bear specimens of Crania anomala: in most cases, the living objects are attached only to the sides, or upper surface of the stones, which shows that the water at the comparatively inconsiderable depth where they live is not much affected by storms and other disturbing agents. A number of fishes was procured by the dredge on this bank in about eighty fathoms water: one a species of Psetta, allied to the "whiff;" another a species of Sebastes, allied to the Norwegian haddock: both appear to be unrecorded as British.* There were also brought up by the dredge from the depth of a hundred fathoms Pilidium fulvum, Limatula subauriculata, Scissurella crispata, Leda pygmæa, Arca raridentata, and other shells, numbering in all nearly fifty species; besides sponges, star-fishes, sea-urchins, &c. The same prolific bank yielded in abundance a large hermit crab, specimens of which were tenanting one of the rarest British shells, Buccinum ovum. There also came up in the dredge a specimen of Litorina litorea, which, notwithstanding its insignificance, requires to be mentioned. The specimen is an adult one; and, though broken, it has a fresh appearance, and retains interiorly its characteristic polish. How has this shell, which only lives between ordinary tide-marks, and feeds on the Fucus peculiar to this tract, got into eighty or ninety fathoms Specimens of a pipe fish were captured on the surface of the Atlantic 200 miles West of Galway. It appears to be a species undescribed as British. NO. 12.-VOL. XXXI. 4 P water, and at the distance of 120 miles from the shore? It may have been swallowed by a cod or some other fish, and carried thither; it may have got entangled in the roots of a seaweed, which afterwards floated out into deep water; or it may have been taken out there by some vessel, and swept overboard. At the depth of 340 fathoms the sounding machine brought up orbulo-globigerinous mud containing (? fossil) specimens of a Pecten, an Arca, and a Pectunculus, which appear to be new to the British seas; also specimens of Trochus millegranus in the same condition. A perfectly fresh specimen of a Cochlodesma, hitherto unrecorded as British, was brought up from the depth of a thousand fathoms, and at the distance of a hundred miles west of Cape Clear. But the most unexpected fact in this record of deep-sea life is my finding a slightly broken, yet fresh, specimen of the upper valve of a Discina (Orbicula) in mud from 1,240 fathoms, taken in N. lat. 52° 8', W. long. 15° 30′, on the eastern side of the great threemiles-deep submarine valley which runs from the Cape Verd Islands, on the coast of Africa, up to Kerry, or further north, where it rises into the two-miles-deep "telegraph plateau.”* Fragments of a branching coral (Caryophyllia) and a large-spined sea-urchin have also occurred to me from other parts of the Irish-Atlantic sea bed. Too much credit cannot be awarded to Mr. Hoskyn and the officers of the Porcupine for the zeal which they displayed in collecting and preserving the various objects I have noticed. Their labours, it is well known, were frequently conducted under the most adverse eircumstances, and during a singular succession of unfavourable weather. Nevertheless, the results of the survey, both as regards Geology and Natural History, are highly valuable. Belmont, near Galway, VOYAGE OF H.M.S. "CYCLOPS :"-THE RED SEA. (Continued from page 546.) As I had decided on running the first series of lines along the Arabian shore, and into Jeddah, for the purpose of coaling from a supply that had been landed there from a damaged ship, it soon became known from the Vice Consul,-consequently a day or two before I started an application was made for M. Eveillard for a passage to Jeddah for himself and family, consisting of wife and daughter, with a female servant, and Janissary. To this request I assented pointing out at the same time that the passage would not be so rapid as they might wish, as the duties of the * Vide Maury's Physical Geography of the Sea, plate xi. ship in sounding would occupy more time than otherwise. That however was no consideration, in fact whatever time we migh be, it would most certainly be much better, especially for the ladies, than voyaging in a buggalow, the only other available means for reaching their destination. Accordingly after embarking them, together with Mr. Page, the British Vice-Consul of Jeddah, I left Suez on the morning of the 24th of May. Steaming down the gulf soundings were occasionally got. When drawing out well clear of Suez Roads, fairly into the gulf, clear from from any local cause to affect the wind, it came from the North, whence it was to be expected at this season of the year, in fact, according to Moresby, all the year round. It commenced light from N.E., and increased to a fresh and steady breeze from N.N.E., appearing to increase as we drew down the gulf, strongest in the night, when the next morning a fierce and fiery breeze. In the forenoon we ran into Toor* Harbour, getting smooth water nnder the shelter of the northern reef, and anchored in four fathoms, a muddy bottom, or rather soft fine sand of a dark colour, with end of the reef S. 49° W., ruined fort N. 50° E., and South point of bay S. 9° E. Toor Harbour is the only anchorage in the gulf that can really.be called a harbour, of course excepting Suez, and, although small, is a snug and sheltered place against the strong North and N. W. winds. Horsburg places it in latitude 28° 16′ N. and 33° 41′E. Our stay here was so short, only for the night, that only the variation was got making it 5° 46′ W., and a few elevations of the highest peaks, by which I reduce Mount Agrib considerably, making its elevation 6,000 feet instead of 10,000, as given in Moresby's chart. This last measurement differs too from what I made it going up, 650 less, yet I give the last observations the preference, and settle it at 6,000 feet. From Tour, proceeding out by the passage entered, namely South of the northern shoal, steered across for the high land of Zeitee, with a strong N.W. wind, and anchored under the lee of the Island of Mulkreman. Small though it be, it forms a very snug shelter with northerly winds, and fair holding ground, although a hard bottom. It is more extensive than Toor,, affording, from its situation being on the western side, better shelter from the westerly gales, which are said to prevail in the gulf in winter. From this anchorage a good view was obtained of the Islands Ushruffee, with the break on the shoals North and East of them. And judging from appearances, I imagine that there is room for a little correction in the chart of the position of these patches. The variation was got on shore here, which we find increasing as we get to the southward; 6° 6' W. was what Mr. Mayes, the master, made it; and being sick and confined to my bed, I directed him to endeavour the next day, in passing into and (through Jubal Strait, to steer as near these shoals as safe, to take a line of soundings, and endeavour to rectify their position. *Tur of the chart. Leaving on the morning of the 27th with a strong N.W. wind, the ship passed East of the shoal patches distinctly visible from the break, a line of soundings was run, and such observations were made by the master as shewing a discrepancy in the chart, but the better to explain the result, &c., Mr. Mayes' remarks are here given in his own words. "The island and anchorage near Petroleum Point, described in Horsburg, vol 1, page 340, is known to the Arabs by the name of Mulkreman. The Cyclops anchored at this place on the 26th of May, with the S.E. extreme of the spit of Mulkreman N. 27° E. true, and the N.E. extreme of the nearest Ushruffee Island S. 65° E. true, in seven fathoms water, coral bottom, fair holding ground, and well sheltered." "To proceed into this anchorage it is only necessary to avoid the shoal water, which shows itself very plainly, extending a short distance all round the Island of Mulkreman. Petroleum Point stretches out into a low sandy spit, just above water, to within thirty yards of this island. "Proceeding from this anchorage on the morning of the 27th of May, to examine the shoals about Ushruffee Islands, blowing strong from N.W.. From one-third of a mile North of Ushruffe N. reef, the Island of Mulkreman bore N. 83° W. true; from one mile East of Ushruffee N. reef, the peak of Jubal bore S. 29° 30′ E., true. These bearings shew that the reef round the N. Island of Ushuruffe extends more to the N.E. than is represented in the chart. "The detached shoal lying to the eastward of the Ushruffee Isle is described by the pilot as very steep on its eastern side; it breaks on its North and South extremes. Running along to the eastward of it, at the distance of about two-thirds of a mile, the soundings were nineteen, and no bottom at twenty fathoms. A line from the peak of Jubal N. 29° 30′ W. true, passes over the shoal; and a line from the same point N. 24° 30′ W. true, passes a little East of the shoal. These bearings show that the shoal does not extend further into the Straits of Jubal than the chart indicates. There is however some discrepancy in its position in latitude. There is no visible shoal to the northward of a line N. 85° E. true, from the N. extreme of the large Ushruffee; and the South extreme of the reef lies with the South end of the southernmost of the two large Ushruffee islands, S. 38° W. true. "Passing the shoals once under unfavourable conditions of weather, and relying on compass bearings, scarcely affords sufficient grounds to speak positively about their position. WILLIAM MAYES, Master." By the above remarks it is evident that there is something wrong in the position of these reefs and islands, which I trust yet to have an opportunity of placing in their proper position. After passing through Jubal Strait under sail only, the southern part of Shadwan was rounded at about two o'clock, when, connecting again, we steamed to the northward along the western shores of the island, and at 3h. p.m., anchored in six fathoms of water, under its N.W. point. The extreme of this point, the termination of a low sandy tongue, bore N. 61° W., and the southern extreme of the northern part of the island, or where the white chalky-looking stratum commences to show itself, N. 50° E. true. This point is more to the northward than the centre of the island, and from it to the southward there is an abrupt dip, breaking into lower and irregular ridges, when rising again on the southern part of the island it attains an elevation of 1,290 feet above the sea level. Out of this white stratum many specimens of shells were got, similar to those now found on the shore, also several scales of talc, &c. Leaving the next morning with a moderate wind from N.N.W., ran to the southward, and landed on the extreme of island to southward to get observations for time and variation, the ship standing off and on the mean while, when late in the afternoon a steamer was observed coming down the gulf, which on communicating with proved to be the Ganges mail steamer, on her way to Bombay. Finding among the letters received no further orders from their Lordships of the Admiralty as to any particular line of soundings to be run out, I determined on carrying out my ideas as previously expressed, and commence from Shadwan across Jubal Strait, thence down the eastern shore of the Red Sea, outside all the shoals, to Jeddah; across to Ras Roway, up the western shores to as far as Cosire, and as I had got a line from there up to Suez, should commence a centre one from about the centre of Jubal Strait, thence down the middle of the sea to Perim, and on to Aden. Being too late to commence our work of sounding to night, I steamed the ship back to the anchorage under the N. W. point of the island, for the night. The result of the day's observations on the southern part of the island places it 5m. 53.58s. to the eastward of Suez, or in arc 1° 28′ 23-8". Taking therefore Suez as 32° 31' 29" E. (Mansell's), we have 33° 59′ 52.8′′ E. for longitude of the southern part of Shadwan. The variation was 6° 17′ W. Early on the morning of the 29th, after rounding the southern point of the Island of Shadwan, I got the first cast of the lead about oneeighth of a mile from its S.E. point, in 313 fathoms, on a soft muddy bottom, or should rather say, a very fine sandy bottom. Steering thence across Jubal Strait the soundings were successively 450, 542, 644 and 444 fathoms, all soft bottoms, and at distance of from three to six miles apart, the latter cast being about a mile and a half off the Cape or Ras Mahommed, the southern extreme of the Sinaiatic peninsula. The course was now northerly, towards the direction of the narrow entrance of the Gulf of Akaba, but getting only one cast of 592 fathoms on that line, five and a half miles from that of Ras Mahommed, I kept for the Arabian shore, so to get a good position for the head of the line down the sea I intended running on this side. After having run a distance of eleven miles, and got two casts of 594 and 544 fathoms, darkness was drawing in, and with the Island of Tirahn so close, and offering anchorage, I made for it, and anchored in seven fathoms of water, on a rocky bottom, under its most eastern point, not more than a cable's length off shore. |