38 peoceediitgs of the 



The Central Ameeican Aeea. 



This area includes the basin bordered by the Central American 

 coast and the chain of Islands stretching from Florida to 

 Trinidad. 



The Deep-sea work in this area has been done almost entirely by 

 the United States. The pioneer in it was the late Count L. F. 

 de Pourtales, who, between 1867 and 1869, was attached as 

 Naturalist to the U.S. Coast Survey Steamers 'Corwin' and 

 ' Bibb,' and explored the Florida Eeef and adjoining part of the 

 Grulf-Stream *. He employed the dredge not less than 129 

 times t between 100 and 517 fathoms, beyond which limit be had 

 no occasion to dredge J. In 1872 the 'Bibb ' was at work in the 

 Yucatan Channel, with Dr. ~W. Stimj)son in charge of the scientific 

 observations ; he dredged on 25 occasions, sometimes in very 

 deep water, beyond the 1000-fathoms line. From the year 1877 

 Professor Alex. Agassiz took charge of the biological work, which 

 was carried out in the three famous cruises of the Survey Steamer 

 ' Blake ' (1877-80). The first cruise extended from Florida Eeef 

 along the northern coast of Cuba ; after returning to Cuba the 

 observations were carried Avestwards to the Tortugay, the Tucatan 

 Bank, the Alacran Eeef, and to the west coast of Cuba ; and, 

 finally, after a second return to Key West, northwards to the 

 mouth of the Mississippi. The following season was devoted to 

 the exploration of the seas and channels surrounding the Great 

 and Little Antilles, and to a visit to Trinidad. The third cruise 

 has been already referred to in the previous chapter. 



The ' Blake' was a small vessel for the work, of between 300 

 and 400 tons burden ; but Prof. Agassiz had the hearty co-opera- 

 tion of the officers, ot whom I must mention at least one. Com- 

 mander C. D. Sigsbee, to whose inventive genius so much of the 

 improvement of deep-sea tackle is due. The introduction of the 

 steel-rope for working the trawl so much facilitated the mechanical 

 labour, that it was possible to make six or seven hauls in one day 

 in depths varying between 700 and 1800 fathoms. Instruments 

 to examine mid-water were also devised and worked successfully 

 so far as minute organisms were concerned. The greatest depth 

 at which the trawl was successfully used was 2412 fathoms, and 

 the greatest depth ascertained by sounding 4561 fathoms, ofi 

 Porto Eico. 



The work of the ' Blake ' was supplemented by the visits of 

 the ' Albatross ' to the Caribbean Sea in 1884 and 1888, carrying, 



* " Contributions to the Fauna of the Gulf-Stream at Great Depths," Bull. 

 Mus. Comp. Zool. i. 1869, pp. 103, 121 ; 'Report upon Deep-sea Dredgings in 

 the GuK-Streamiduring the Third Cruise of the U.S. Steanier ' Bibb,' ' hy Louis 

 Agassiz. 



t " List of Dredging Stations occupied by the U.S. Coast Survey Steamers," 

 by B. Pierce and C. P. Patterson, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. vi. 1879, p. 1 ; see 

 also Eeport of Fish Commiss. for 1886, p. 957. 



I Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. i. p. 125. 



