CHAP, n.j THE CRUISE OF THE ' LIGHTNING: 53 



still have 4,000 feet of water whose conditions have probably not 

 varied greatly since the commencement of the Eocene epoch. 



Yours most truly, 



\YYVILLE THOMSON. 



From Dr. Carpenter, V.P.R.S., to the President of the Royal Society. 



UNIVERSITY OF LONDON, BURLINGTON HOUSE, W. 

 June ISlh, 1868. 



DEAR GENERAL SABINE, During a recent visit to Belfast, I 

 had the opportunity of examining some of the specimens 

 (transmitted by Prof. Sars of Christiania to Prof. AVyville 

 Thomson) which have been obtained by M. Sars, juu., Inspector 

 of Fisheries to the Swedish Government, by deep-sea dredgings 

 off the coast of Norway. These specimens, for reasons stated in 

 the enclosed letter from Prof. Wyville Thomson, are of singular 

 interest alike to the zoologist and to the palaeontologist ; and the 

 discovery of them can scarcely fail to excite, both among natu 

 ralists and among geologists, a very strong desire that the zoology 

 of the deep sea, especially in the Northern Atlantic region, should 

 be more thoroughly and systematically explored than it has 

 ever yet been. From what I know of your own early labours in 

 this field, I cannot entertain a doubt of your full concurrence in 

 this desire. 



Such an exploration cannot be undertaken by private indi 

 viduals, even when aided by grants from Scientific Societies. 

 For dredging at great depths, a vessel of considerable size is 

 requisite, with a trained crew, such as is only to be found in the 

 Government service. It was by the aid of such an equipment, 

 furnished by the Swedish Government, that the researches of 

 M. Sars were carried on. 



Now, as there are understood to be at the present time an 

 unusual number of gun-boats and other cruisers on our northern 

 and western coasts, which will probably remain on their stations 

 until the end of the season, it has occurred to Prof. Wyville 

 Thomson and myself, that the Admiralty, if moved thereto by 

 the Council of the Eoyal Society, might be induced to place one 

 of these vessels at the disposal of ourselves and of any other 



