PREFACE. 
Ar the close of the Deep-sea Dredging Expeditions 
which had been undertaken by the Admiralty at the 
instance of the Council of the Royal Society during 
the years 1868, 1869, and 1870, it was thought right 
that those who had been entrusted with their scien- 
tific direction should, in addition to their official 
reports, lay before the general public some account 
of their proceedings with the objects ;—first, of show- 
ing, if possible, that the value of the additions which 
had been made to human knowledge justified the 
liberality of Government in acceding to the request 
of the Council of the Royal Society, and placing 
means at their disposal to carry out the desired 
researches ; and, secondly, of giving such a popular 
outline of the remarkable results of our work as 
might stimulate general interest, and induce those 
who have the proclivities and the opportunity, to 
penetrate farther into the new and strange region 
on whose borders we have had the- good fortune to 
have been among the first to encroach. 
