Sounding

(sownd'ing.) [From Fr. sonder, to investigate with a plummet.) (Naut.) On shipboard, the act or operation of throwing the lead, in order to ascertain the depth of the water around a ship, and the nature B A C Fig. 602.- SAVART'S APPARATUS. of the bottom. Soundings is a term to designate the specimens of the bottom brought up by the operation of heaving the lead. A piece of tallow stuck upon the base of the deep-sea plummet brings up distinguishing marks of the bottom, as sand, shells, and the like, which have stuck to it. These indications are carefully noted in the log-book. A ship is said to be in soundings when she gets into water shallow enough to be sounded. [s. 840]