yune I. 1876] 



NATURE 



lor 



net came up nearly filled with some large cup sponges, pro- 

 bably belonging to the same species as was dredged up by 

 Sir James Clarke Ross many years ago near the Ice-barrier. 

 On the 2nd of February they were 140 miles south of Ker- 

 guelen, and on the 6th they reached Corinthian Bay in Yong 

 Island, and had made all arrangements for examining it, 

 when a sudden change of weather obliged them to put to 

 sea, though one or two of the party had succeeded in spend- 

 ing an hour or two on shore. The most southerly station 

 made was on the 14th of February in lat. 65° 42' S., long. 

 79"" 49' E., when the trawl brought up from a depth of 1,675 

 fathoms a considerable number of animals. Dredging so 

 near the Antarctic circle was, however, not only a severe 

 but a somewhat critical operation ; the temperature of the 

 work-rooms for days averaged seven or eight degrees below 

 freezing point, the ship was surrounded by icebergs, and 

 snow-storms from the south-east were constantly blowing 

 against her. 



On the 23rd of February the wind had risen to a whole 



Fig. 10. — Radiolarian. 



Melbourne was reached on the r7th of March, and some 

 weeks were pleasantly spent, which were all the more re- 

 freshing after the hardships of the tour to the Antarctic 

 circle. Next Sydney was visited, and here everything was 

 done by the inhabitants to welcome the members of the Ex- 

 pedition that could be done, and there is no doubt that the 

 memory of their visits to our Australian Possessions will 

 linger among the pleasant ones that they will indulge in 

 for years. A very careful survey of that portion of the 

 Pacific Ocean that intervenes between the coasts of 

 Australia and New Zealand was required for electric tele- 

 graph purposes, and the soundings made by the Chal- 

 le?i^er gave every reason to expect that it would not be 

 long ere New Zealand would be in telegraphic connection 

 with Europe — as indeed it now is. Until the end of June 

 the Challenger was engaged on this work, but on the 6th 

 of July, 1874, she set out once more on an ocean cruise. 



Leaving Wellington on the 7th she proceeded under 

 sail along the east coast ot New Zealand. On the 

 loth they were about forty miles to the east of East 

 Cape, and continuing their course towards the Kermadec 

 Islands, on the 14th they were off Raoul Island. The 



gale, the thermometer fell to 2 1° F., the snow drove in a dry 

 blinding cloud of exquisite star-like crystals, which burned 

 the skin as if they had been red hot, and none were sorry 

 to turn northwards. This was a period of sore anxiety to 

 all in charge ; still observations on temperature were 

 carried on, the specific gravity of the water was taken 

 daily by Mr. Buchanan, and some interesting observations 

 were also made on sea-water ice. The soundings and 

 dredgings, while they were among the ice in 1,675 to i>975 

 fathoms, gave evidence of a very distinct deposit of yel- 

 lowish clay, with pebbles and small stones, and a con- 

 siderable admixture of Diatoms, Radiolarians, &c., the 

 former doubtless being a deposit from the melting ice- 

 bergs. Soundings were made on the 26th of February, 

 and 3rd and 7th of March in 1,800 fathoms, when some 

 very remarkable large-sized star-fishes were met with. 

 On the 13th of March, at a depth of 2,600 fathoms, with 

 a bottom temperature of o°2 C. Holothuriae were abun- 

 dant, as well as many other animal forms. 



Fig II. — Kadiolarian. 



specimens brought up from a depth of 600 fathoms were 

 just such as one would have expected to find in a similar 

 depth off the coast of Portugal. On the evening of the 19th 

 they arrived at Tongatabu, one of the Friendly Islands. 

 Two days were spent in visiting different parts of the island, 

 and a few hauls of the dredge were made in shallow 

 water off the coast. They next made a straight course for 

 Matuku Island, the most southerly of the Fijis, where, 

 on the 24th, a party of surveyors and naturalists landed ; 

 some others explored the sea along the coast, trawling 

 in some i to 300 fathoms, and procuring, among other 

 fine things, a specimen of the Pearly Nautilus {Nautilus 

 pofnpilius), which was kept alive in a tub of salt water 

 for some time so as to watch its movements. Kandavu 

 was reached on the 25th, Levuka was visited on the 28th, 

 and the ship returned to Kandavu on the 3rd of August, 

 to remain for a week. The natural history of the coral 

 reefs surrounding the Fijis was examined by the civilian 

 staff, who received every assistance possible from Mr. 

 Layard, H.M. Consul. Between New Zealand and the 

 Fiji group only two soundings had been taken to a greater 

 depth than 1,000 fathoms ; one off Cape Turnagain, New 



