PRE FACE 



descriptions of life and work on board the Carnegie that 

 has been prepared since the cruise ended. 



The magnetic program of the Carnegie is summar- 

 ized in the section "The magnetic work of the Carnegie 

 and the urgency of new ocean magnetic surveys." The 

 need for a magnetic-survey program to be begun as soon 

 as possible is emphasized- -even though only a limited 

 program could be carried out initially. The magnetic 

 data of cruise VII are to be included in detail in a com- 

 ing volume of the series "Researches of the Department 

 of Terrestrial Magnetism" which will cover also obser- 

 vations made at stations on land since 1926. 



Dr. E. G. Moberg, of the Scripps Institution of 

 Oceanography, discusses the details of the personnel, 

 equipment, and work of the Carnegie as a guide for plan- 

 ning other scientific cruises of similar character and 

 scope. 



A gravity apparatus after the design of Dr. F. A. 

 Vening Meinesz was installed on the Carnegie at San 

 Francisco and for the first time gravity determinations 

 were made aboard a sailing vessel at sea. S. E. For- 

 bush, of the Department's staff, gives an account of the 

 behavior of the apparatus on the Carnegie . Although he 

 was able to get only a few successful results, he found 

 and eliminated some of the difficulties in such investiga- 

 tion. 



E. S. Shepherd determined the fluorine content on 

 twenty-one ocean-bottom samples collected by the Car- 

 negie and his results are presented in a short paper. 

 There remains much to be learned about fluorine con- 

 centration on the ocean floor. 



Following the destruction of the Carnegie in Novem- 

 ber 1929, and the return to Washington, D. C, of the 

 scientific staff early in 1930, a committee of members 

 of the Department's staff was appointed to consider ways 

 and means of assisting in the development of plans for 

 future magnetic, electric, and oceanographic research 

 over the oceans. The president of the Carnegie Institu- 

 tion of Washington suggested such a committee in order 

 that the experience gained in the operations of the Car- 

 negie might be made available for similar programs in 

 the future. W. J. Peters, F. M. Soule, and O. W. Torre- 

 son, who had all taken extensive part in the program at 

 sea, were designated for this duty. 



Among the proposals submitted by this committee 

 was one recommending that there be prepared various 

 memoranda relating to the experience acquired on the 

 Galilee and the Carnegie and incorporating suggestions 

 for improvements in instruments, observational proce- 

 dures, ship's equipment, and comments on any other 

 matters on which constructive suggestions might be of 

 benefit to investigators planning future ocean work. 



Nine memoranda were prepared in response to this 

 proposal by members of the committee and members of 



the scientific staff of the last cruise of the Carnegie . 

 These were prepared in 1930 and given limited circula- 

 tion at that time. In the present volume the papers are 

 presented essentially as written in 1930, only a few de- 

 letions having been made of suggestions and comments 

 no longer applicable, and a few statements corrected on 

 the basis of more up-to-date information. The papers 

 represent an important series of reports on practices 

 and procedures on board the Carnegie , particularly be- 

 cause the seventh and last cruise was the only one on 

 which, in addition to the usual magnetic, electric, and 

 meteorological program, very diversified activities con- 

 cerned with oceanic measurements were included. 



The scope of the researches carried out on the last 

 cruise of the Carnegie may be realized from the com- 

 plete bibliography compiled by Mrs. Crow, and given in 

 the last section of the book. 



The great quantity of results obtained on cruise VTI 

 and their excellent quality were due to the executive 

 ability and personal energy of Captain Ault and to the 

 enthusiasm which he aroused in all the ship's personnel. 

 The program was so strenuous, each man had so much 

 to do and worked under so much pressure, that its reali- 

 zation could not have been accomplished without the 

 spirit of complete cooperation and comradeship. Captain 

 Ault possessed forcefulness, resourcefulness, and the 

 ability to make quick decisions. Gifted to an unusual de- 

 gree with the qualities of leadership he was, withal, 

 sympathetic, kindly, and broadly tolerant. He was a 

 gentleman of the finest type who quickly won the friend- 

 ship, good will, and cooperation of all. Moreover, he 

 was skilled in navigation, abreast of general scientific 

 thought, and an authority in his own field--there could 

 scarcely have been a combination of qualities more ad- 

 mirably suited to leadership in any oceanographic ex- 

 pedition. 



As stated above, this is the last volume of the series 

 of "Scientific results of cruise VII." Thirteen volumes 

 have presented in detail the observational data secured, 

 together with the full compilations of the results, and 

 with considerable discussion and interpretation by the 

 many investigators who have given so much time and en- 

 thusiastic support in the preparation of the volumes of 

 this series. Naturally there are many possibilities for 

 additional discussions and classifications of data, partic- 

 ularly in the great mass of biological information ac- 

 quired. It is felt, however, that further researches and 

 compilations and classification of data must be left to 

 specialists in the various lines of endeavor who now have 

 available all the observational material and results with 

 suitable notes regarding details for additional study. 



J. A. Fleming 

 Director, Department of Terrestrial Magnetism 



