INTRODUCTION. IX 



made. These attracted the attention of the commercial world, and did 

 not escape the notice of ^philosophers generally. 



The Held was immense, the harvest was plenteous, and there was 

 both need and room for more labom-ers. Whatever the reapers 

 should gather, or the merest gleaner collect, was to insure to the 

 benefit of commerce and navigation — the increase of human know- 

 ledge — the good of all. 



Therefore, all who use the sea were equally interested in the 

 imdertaking. The government of the United States, so considering 

 the matter, proposed a uniform system of observations at sea, and 

 invited all the maritime states of Christendom to a conference upon 

 the subject. 



This conference, consisting of representatives from France, Eng- 

 land, and Piussia, from Sweden and Norway, Holland, Denmark, 

 Eelgimn, Portugal, and the United States, met in Brussels, August 

 23, 1853, and recommended a plan of observations which should be 

 followed on board the vessels of all friendly nations, and especially 

 of those there present in the persons of then- representatives. 



Prussia, Spain, Sardinia, Oldenberg and Hanover, the Holy See, 

 the free city of Hambm^g, the republics of Bremen and Chili, and 

 the empires of Austria and Brazil, have since offered their co-opera- 

 tion also in the same plan. 



Thus the sea has been brought regularly within the domains of 

 philosophical research, and crowded with observers. 



In peace and in war these observations are to be carried on, and, 

 in case any of the vessels on board of vmich they are conducted may 

 be captm^ed, the abstract log — as the jomnal which contains these 

 observations is called — is to be held sacred. 



The illustrious Humboldt, several years before his death, expressed 

 the opinion that the results akeady obtained from this system of 

 research had given rise to a new department of science, which he 

 called the Physical Geography or the Sea. 



Earely before has there been such a subhme spectacle presented 

 to the scientific w^orld : all nations agreeing to unite and co-operate 

 in carrying out according to the same plan, one system of philo- 

 sophical research with regard to the sea. Though they may be 

 enemies in all else, here they are to be friends. Every ship that 

 navigates the high seas with these charts and blank abstract logs 

 on board may henceforth be regarded as a floating observatory, a 

 temple of science. The instruments used by every co-operatmg 

 vessel are to be compared with standards that are common to all ; 



