102 MEMORIAL SKETCH. 



Prussia, when at the beginning of the war the universal ciy of the 

 French army was "k Bedin." This was even chalked on the 

 baggage and ammunition waggons. . . . It is Sir F. Williams's 

 opinion that of all men now living, Thiers is the man who most 

 contributed to the present state of things, both by helping to 

 make the exaltation of France the one idea of the French 

 . people, and also by inducing Louis Philippe to fortify Paris, 

 which now makes it the special point of attack by the 

 Prussians. 



The attention excited by the deep-sea researches, and 

 the value of the discoveries already made, led Dr. Carpen- 

 ter to project a plan for investigations on a still wider 

 scale. Mr. Lowe, then member for the University of 

 London, and Chancellor of the Exchequer in Mr. Glad- 

 stone's first administration, took a v/arm interest in the 

 work. " Though time is a scarce commodity just now," he 

 had written from Downing Street in March, 1870, "I have 

 " not been able to deny myself the pleasure of reading your 

 " lecture. It fills me with interest and admiration. You may 

 " rely on my support for further experiments of a like 

 "nature." This support was cordially given to the larger 

 proposals which Dr. Carpenter now ventured to lay before 

 Mr. Goschen, who at that time presided over the Admiralty, 

 for the scientific circumnavigation of the globe. In the 

 summer of 1871 these proposals received the practical 

 sanction of the Cabinet, and Dr. Carpenter felt that a 

 heavy responsibility rested upon himself to do all in his 

 power to render such an expedition successful. Many 

 considerations seemed to point to his own assumption of 

 its scientific direction. He possessed an unusual range of 

 knowledge, a very varied experience of affairs, an eminent 

 position, and he had given special proof of his ability to 

 conduct investigations alike in the physics, the zoology, 

 and the geology of the deep sea. There were, of course, 



