CHAP. n.J THE CRUISE OF TH.E ' 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, 



\\'YVILLE THOMSON. 



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



UNIVERSITY OF LONDON, BURLINGTON HOUSE, W. 

 June ISth, 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. Wyville 

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

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

 3if the coast of Norway. These specimens, for reasons stated in 

 :he enclosed letter from Prof. Wyville Thomson, are of singular 

 uterest alike to the zoologist and to the palaeontologist; and the 

 Discovery of them can scarcely fail to excite, both among natu- 

 -alists and among geologists, a very strong desire that the zoology 

 )f the deep sea, especially in the Northern Atlantic region, should 

 36 more thoroughly and systematically explored than it has 

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

 i-his field, I cannot entertain a doubt of your full concurrence in 

 'his desire. 



Such an exploration cannot be undertaken by private indi- 

 (dduals, even when aided by grants from Scientific Societies, 

 dredging at great depths, a vessel of considerable size is 

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

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

 urnished by the Swedish Government, that the researches of 

 L Sars were carried on. 



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

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

 nd western coasts, which will probably remain on their stations 

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

 'homson and myself, that the Admiralty, if moved thereto by 

 ie Council of the Royal Society, might be induced to place one 

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



