1869.] MEETING OP THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 311 



that one was the back current of the water that had coursed 

 from the tropics to the poles. Mr. Norman then read the follow- 

 ing letter from the Professsor : 



" Belfast, Aug. 7, 1869. 



" My dear Norman, — You are already aware that, during the 

 first cruise of this year, Mr. JeflFreys and his party dredged and 

 took most important thermometrical and other observations to a 

 depth of 1,476 fathoms. When 1 took Mr. JeflFrey's place for the 

 second cruise, it was the intention to proceed northwards, and to 

 work up a part of the north-west passage, north of Rockall. I 

 found, however, on joining the vessel, the gear in such perfect 

 order, all the arrangements so excellent, the weather so promising, 

 and the confidence of our excellent commander so high, that, after 

 consulting with Capt. Calver, I suggested to the hydrographer 

 that we should turn southwards, and explore the very deep water 

 ofi" the Bay of Biscay. I was anxious that, if possible, the great 

 questions of the distribution of temperature, &c., and of the con- 

 ditions suitable to the existence of animal life, should be finally 

 settled, and the circumstances seemed singularly favourable. No 

 thoroughly reliable soundings have been taken beyond 2,800 

 fathoms, and I felt that if we could approach 2,500, all the grand 

 problems would be virtually solved, and the investigation of any 

 greater depths would be a mere matter of detail and curiosity. 

 The hydrographer at once consented to this change of plan ; and 

 on the 17th of July we left Belfast and steered round to Cork, 

 where we coaled, and then stood out towards some soundings, 

 about a couple of hundred miles south-west of Ushant, marked on 

 the Admiralty charts 2,000 fathoms and upwards. On the 20th 

 and 21st we took a few hauls of the dredge on the slope of the 

 great plateau, in the mouth of the Channel, in depths from 75 to 

 725 fathoms, and on the 22nd we sounded with the 'Hydra' 

 sounding-apparatus, the depth 2,435 fathoms, with a bottom of 

 fine Atlantic chalk-mud, and a temperature registered by two 

 standard Miller-Six's thermometers of 35-5° Fahrenheit. A 

 heavy dredge was put over in the afternoon, and slowly the 

 great coils of rope melted from the 'Aunt Sallies,' — as we call 

 a long line of iron-bars with round wooden heads, on which the 

 coils are hung. In about an hour the dredge reached the bottom, 

 upwards of three miles off. The dredge remained down about 

 .three hours, the Captain moving the ship slowly up to it from 



