THE EXPERIENCES OF A DIVER. 217 



ralists would be. "We recognize their excuse. It is, that means of 

 observing marine animals in life, aquariums, and especially the 

 diving-dress, are not within everybody's reach. They cost con- 

 siderable sums. The student needs a diving- jacket, a boat of con- 

 siderable tonnage, and a crew of competent men, all to himself 

 and under his orders ; for freedom is a great element of success in 

 all scientific investigation. 



The diving-jacket is a more ingenious and more useful inven- 

 tion than many that make more noise. It is dangerous or safe 

 according to the way it is used. It has come into extensive 

 use. Every seaport, every war-vessel, and every large steamer 

 has a diving dress and apparatus. Even sponge-fishers have re- 

 course to it. Science, however, could derive no profit from the 

 reports of professional divers ; their veracity is below everything 

 that could be imagined, and then they look without seeing. 

 Although inhabited by millions of negroes, Africa remained un- 

 known till educated white men succeeded in crossing it ; the bot- 

 tom of the sea will never be known till good observers have gone 

 down there. 



Students should descend themselves ; but, unfortunately for 

 science, persons are rare who have gone to see in place the ani- 

 mals concerning which they have written large books. They 

 might have been spared many errors. Some have not the means ; 

 others are afraid ; and still others have once gone down two or 

 three metres, and then hurried to fill the press with the creations 

 of their imagination ; for the first plunge which one makes is of 

 no value for the observation of things that are outside of himself. 

 He sees thirty-six colors, and that is all. 



This first plunge leaves no agreeable memories. They dress 

 you as if you had to endure the cold of Siberia, a precaution 

 which I have found useless in the Mediterranean. With knit 

 woolen hose, cap, and shirt, I have never felt the cold. Then 

 comes the ample coat, which we get into through the neck-hole, 

 and the casque, which resounds as if one had his head in a kettle. 

 Then they put on you a belt with a dagger, shoes with leaded 

 soles, and lead at your breast and back. Now you are so loaded 

 that you could hardly stand straight if the boat should tip then 

 you go down into the water where all the weight is no longer felt. 



Now a different feeling begins. At the command, " Pump ! " 

 some one rapidly screws down the glass in front of your casque, and 

 you hear a noise to which you have to accustom yourself pah ! 

 pah ! pah ! accompanied by a hissing of the air. Little whiffs 

 of air come to you, scented with machine oil and caoutchouc. 

 The beginner fails to manage the escape, and his coat and sleeves 

 become inflated, so that, when he wants to go down, he floats like 

 those frogs we used to blow up when we were boys, and then 



