sounding-line

The halt is a matter depending on the sounding-line, and not on the leadsman.

Les Miserables 2008

But what still remains beyond this we have no more a positive distinct notion of than a mariner has of the depth of the sea; where, having let down a large portion of his sounding-line, he reaches no bottom.

An Essay Concerning Human Understanding 2007

But Malta, too, was gone; and when, upon the 14th, the sounding-line was dropped upon its site, it was only with the same result so oftentimes obtained before.

Off on a Comet 2003

By this the scribe (if this which he told me was really as he said) gave me to understand272 that there were certain strong eddies there and a backward flow, and that since the water dashed against the mountains, therefore the sounding-line could not come to any bottom when it was let down.

The History of Herodotus Herodotus 2003

Even its depths were explored with a sounding-line without result.

The Master of the World 2003

For taking samples of water a winch is used, with a sounding-line of, let us say, 5,000 metres (2,734 fathoms), on which are hung one or more tubes for catching water; we used three at once to save time.

The South Pole; an account of the Norwegian antarctic expedition in the 'Fram', 1910 to 1912 2003

Perhaps the depths might disclose what the surface failed to reveal, and Count Timascheff, anxious that Servadac should have every facility afforded him for solving his doubts, called for the sounding-line.

Off on a Comet 2003

As a rule, though, it was only clewing up the sails that had to be done, as we always had to take soundings on the weather side, so that the sounding-line should not foul the bottom of the vessel and smash the apparatus.

The South Pole; an account of the Norwegian antarctic expedition in the 'Fram', 1910 to 1912 2003

The Captain had his sounding-line going, and I was on the upper deck with the signallers.

"The Red Watch" With the First Canadian Division in Flanders John Allister Currie

The highest mountains range from four to five miles in height; the greatest depth of the ocean is probably little more than five miles, although Ross let down 27,000 feet of sounding-line in vain on one occasion.

Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. 3, July, 1851 Various