4 Inaugural Lecture 1889 



The general laws governing the weather at the surface of 

 the globe depend chiefly on the actions and reactions between 

 the atmosphere and the surface of the ocean. Hence the 

 investigation of the ocean has a double value both on account 

 of the interest which attaches to itself and on account of its 

 influence on the land. The sea has, so far as its surface is 

 concerned, and in parts contiguous to the coast, been at all 

 times an object of observation by the inhabitants who happened 

 to dwell in its vicinity. What, however, lay beneath the 

 surface of the ocean was until the last twenty or thirty years 

 entirely unknown. 



Oceanic Exploration. The foundation of our knowledge of 

 the conditions affecting the ocean and its surface and of the 

 department of maritime meteorology is due to the late Captain 

 Maury who united remarkable powers of observation and gene- 

 ralisation with the imagination and enthusiasm without which 

 great things cannot be accomplished. Through Maury's efforts 

 the U.S. Government issued an invitation for a maritime con- 

 ference which was held in Brussels in 1853 and attended by 

 representatives of the governments of most of the European 

 States. The main object of the conference to devise a uni- 

 form system of meteorological observations and records was 

 accomplished. According to the agreement, ship's logs were 

 to have columns for recording observations of the following 

 subjects: latitude, longitude, magnetic variation, direction 

 and velocity of currents, direction ancr f orce of wind, serenity 

 of the sky, fog, rain, snow and hail, sta' \of the sea, sp. gravity 

 and temperature of the water at the surface and at different 

 depths. It was also proposed that deep sea soundings should 

 be taken on all favourable occasions and that all other pheno- 

 mena such as hurricanes, water spouts, dust showers, etc., 

 should be carefully described and tidal observations made 

 when practicable. 



The practical results of this conference were great. The 

 systematic and uniform collection of data by men of all nations 

 is going on uninterruptedly to-day and is furnishing the means 

 for the solution of many of the problems relating to the geo- 

 graphy of the sea. 



