Narrative of Bahama Expedition, 



CHAPTER I. 



PLANS AND EQUIPMENT. 



Kxcnvixc;. as we now do, the immense wealth of biological 

 material awaiting investigation in the depths of the sea, it is 

 hard to realize that this new world to science has been prac- 

 tically discovered and occupied during the last forty years. 

 It seems strange that the significant discoveries of Torell in 

 the waters of the far north, proving the existence at consider- 

 able depths of animals belonging to every group of inverte- 

 brates ordinarilv found in shallow salt water, did not attract 

 more attention at the time of their announcement. Nearlv ten 

 years later the two Sars, father and son, became interested in 

 deep sea forms of life, and accumula^^ed a number of speci- 

 mens which were destined in time to fire the zeal of Sir 

 Wyville Thomson. The science which has since become 

 known as "■ Thalassography " mav have had its birth in the 

 mind of that grand zoologist when he went to Norway and 

 examined the Sars' collection, in which he found much food 

 for reflection. As is usual with such men. reflection bore 

 fruit, and we next find him. in conjunction with his associate. 

 Dr. Carpenter. a]")plying to the Admiralt\'. through the Council 

 of the Royal Society, •' to place the means at our disposal to 

 go into the whole question of the physical and biological con- 

 ditions of the sea bottom in the neighborhood of the British 

 Islands." The •• Lightning." a •• somewhat precarious little 

 gun-boat," was placed at their disposal for two months. The\- 

 found that there was '' abundance of animal life at the bottom 

 of the sea. to a depth of six hundred fathoms at least, and that 



