76 MATTHEW FONTAINE MAURY 



nection with one of the most romantic and far-reaching 

 scientific achievements of the century, the laying of the 

 first Atlantic telegraph cable. Mention has already 

 been made of the deep-sea soundings undertaken, under 

 his direction, by American naval officers during the 

 years 1849-1853. With the data furnished by these 

 officers and by some others who were not engaged solely 

 in sounding operations, Maury was enabled in the 

 autumn of 1852 to construct an orographic map of the 

 North Atlantic Ocean and to give a profile representing 

 a vertical section of its bottom between America and 

 Europe near the parallel of 39° north latitude. This 

 showed the existence of what he called "the telegraphic 

 plateau". 



Up to this time no specimens of deep-sea ooze had been 

 brought up from the bottom, and each sounding involved 

 the loss of all the twine used as well as the cannon ball 

 attached to it; and besides there was some uncertainty 

 each time as to whether the bottom had really been 

 reached. Fortunately, Lieutenant John Mercer Brooke, 

 who was then at the Observatory, invented a simple 

 but effective contrivance known as "Brooke's deep-sea 

 sounding apparatus", which was well adapted to Maury's 

 needs. The instrument was used by Lieutenant Berry- 

 man in the Dolphin during the year 1853 with great 

 success, and the specimens which he obtained from the 

 bottom were forwarded by Maury to Professor Bailey 

 of West Point, for examination under the microscope. 

 Upon examination the specimens were found not to 

 contain a particle of sand or gravel mixed with them, 

 but to be mites of sea-shells as perfect and unworn as when 

 they were alive. This suggested to Maury the idea that 

 there were no abrading forces at play upon the bottom 



