18 THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA. [CHAP, i 



they were accepted by naturalists generally without 

 question. 



The history of discovery bearing upon the extent and 

 distribution of the deep-sea fauna will be discussed in 

 a future chapter. It will suffice at present to mention 

 in order the few data which gradually prepared the 

 minds of naturalists to distrust the hypothesis of a 

 zero of animal life at a limited depth, and led to the 

 recent special investigations. In the year 1819 Sir 

 John Ross published the official account of his voyage 

 of discovery during the year 1818 in Baffin's Bay. 1 

 At page 178 he says, " In the meantime I was em- 

 ployed on board in sounding and in trying the cur- 

 rent, and the temperature of the water. It being 

 perfectly calm and smooth, I had an excellent oppor- 

 tunity of detecting these important objects. Sound- 

 ings were obtained correctly in 1,000 fathoms, 

 consisting of soft mud, in which there were worms, 

 and, entangled on the sounding line, at the depth 

 of 800 fathoms, was found a beautiful Caput Medusa 

 (Fig. 1). These were carefully preserved, and will be 

 found described in the appendix." This was in lat. 

 73 37' N., long. 77 25' W., on the 1st of September, 

 1818, and it is, so far as I am aware, the first recorded 

 instance of living animals having been brought 

 up from any depth approaching 1,000 fathoms. 

 General Sir Edward Sabine, who was a member of 

 Sir John Ross's expedition, has kindly furnished Dr. 



1 A Voyage of Discovery made under the Orders of the Admiralty 

 in His Majesty's ships 'Isabella' and 'Alexander/ for the purpose 

 of exploring Baffin's Bay, and inquiring into the Possibility of a 

 North-west Passage. By John Boss, K.G., Captain Royal Navy. 

 London, 1819. 





