8 INTRODUCTION. 



wonderful equalizer of terrestrial climate — all the currents, 

 aerial and oceanic ; the tides, trade winds, typhoons, mon- 

 soons, saltness and specific gravity of the sea, and other laws 

 and phenomena, will be found described and treated in 

 detail in their proper places in this book. Modern research 

 has defined absolutely many things that heretofore have 

 been but imperfectly understood. Arduous and protracted 

 though the labor has been, we have carefully examined and 

 weighed the conclusions of the late scientists, and therefore 

 write with more confidence than as if we had depended 

 entirely upon our own unaided observations. 



Under the divisions of Laws and Phenomena, quotations 

 and conclusions will be found from a book entitled the " Phy- 

 sical Geography of the Sea,'' by the late Capt. Maury. For 

 this kindly courtesy we are indebted to Colonel Richard L. 

 Maury, of Richmond, Ya., son and legal representative of 

 the late Capt. Maury. 



We have drawn to some extent from other sources for 

 many of the incidents so graphically illustrating some of the 

 subjects considered. 



In the chapter entitled " The Frozen Ocean,'' will be 

 found something new respecting late expeditions, and much 

 that is of varied and thrilling interest. In the considera- 

 tion of the subject of " Deep Sea Dredging," and the " Beds 

 of the Waters," Ave have taken advantage of researches 

 prosecuted by late Government expeditions, in arriving at 

 the conclusions presented to the reader. 



We should be negligent did we not call attention to the 

 subject of " Life in the Ocean," minute and mammoth. 



We have called attention to those that must be objects 

 of universal interest, from the tiny polyp, the wonderful 

 rock-builder of the ocean, to the *' monarch of the deep." 

 Neither have we contented ourselves by giving a mere bar- 

 ren technical description, but we have alluded to their hab- 

 its, their uses in creation, methods, dangers and exciting in- 

 cidents relative to their capture. The forests of the deep 



