CHAPTER I 



INTO THE DEPTHS 



THEY were awake at 6.30 a.m. on that momentous 

 14th of February, 1954. The sea was heaving 

 and tossing restlessly as though it resented what 

 they were about to do. Over two and a half miles of dark 

 swirling water lay below the Elie Monnier's keel as she 

 rolled and pitched with the motion of the waves. Com- 

 mander Houot and Lieutenant Willm (who were about 

 to make another descent in the bathyscaphe F.R.N.S.3, 

 160 miles south-west of Dakar, French West Africa) 

 made a hasty breakfast, checked their asdic signals, 

 shook hands with the others, and jumped down into the 

 dinghy which had been put over the side. 



The boat rose and sank in the swell as they went 

 across to the F.R.N.S.3. The upper structure, or float, 

 of the "deep boat" lay on the heaving water like a 

 surfaced submarine. Suspended from its belly was the 

 ten- ton steel sphere which was to be their ''cabin" during 

 the descent. Grey mist shrouded the horizon and blotted 

 out the dunes on the coasthne. Only the Mamelles^ the 

 twin "Paps of Dakar", emerged remote and ghost-like 

 from the haze. 



They reached the float, gained the bridge, and opened 

 the air-lock hatch. The divers, who had just come aboard, 

 received their orders and went over the side, holding 

 their boat-hooks, to make their final inspection. There 

 were, as always, last-moment diflficulties, but these were 

 quickly overcome. The tow-line was cast off'. To Willm, 

 who had gone ahead into the sphere, came the statement 



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