PREFACE. 



AT the close of the Deep-sea Dredging Expeditions 

 which had been undertaken by the Admiralty at the 

 instance of the Council of the Royal Society during 

 the years 1868, 1869, and 1870, it was thought right 

 that those who had been entrusted with their scien- 

 tific direction should, in addition to their official 

 reports, lay before the general public some account 

 of their proceedings with the objects ; first, of show- 

 ing, if possible, that the value of the additions which 

 had been made to human knowledge justified the 

 liberality of Government in acceding to the request 

 of the Council of the Royal Society, and placing 

 means at their disposal to carry out the desired 

 researches; and, secondly, of giving such a popular 

 outline of the remarkable results of our work as 

 might stimulate general interest, and induce those 

 who have the proclivities and the opportunity, to 

 penetrate farther into the new and strange region 

 on whose borders we have had the good fortune to 

 have been among the first to encroach. 



