PREFACE. xi 
and Dy. M‘Intosh, for information courteously 
supplied. ve 
The whole of the illustrations in the book—with 
the exception of the vignettes of F&éroe scenery for 
which I am indebted to the accomplished pencil of 
Madame Holten—are by my friend Mr. J. J. Wild. 
I need scarcely thank him for the admirable way in 
which he has accomplished his task, for every figure 
was with him a labour of love, and I almost envy 
him the gratification he must feel in the result. 
To Mr. J. D. Cooper I owe my sincere thanks for 
the singularly faithful and artistic rendering of 
Mr. Wild’s beautiful drawings on the wood-blocks. 
On the return of the ‘ Porcupine’ from her last 
cruise, so much interest was felt in the bearings of 
the new discoveries upon important biological, geo- 
logical, and physical problems, that a representation 
was made to Government by the Council of the 
Royal Society, urging the despatch of an expedition 
to traverse the great ocean basins, and take an out- 
line survey of the vast new field of research—the 
bottom of the sea. 
Rear-Admiral Richards, C.B., F.R.S., the Hydro- 
grapher to the Navy, warmly supported the pro- 
posal, and while I am writing a noble ship is 
lying at Sheerness equipped for scientific research, 
under his wise and liberal directions, as no ship 
of any nation was ever equipped before. 
