in the Twenty Years before 1895 33 



silicates and ochres of the red clay. When the carbonate 

 of lime was removed, the red clay was revealed. In order 

 to test this theory, Professor Thomson asked me to dissolve 

 a quantity of a pteropod ooze from which the finer parts had 

 been removed by washing, leaving what appeared to be nothing 

 but shells. These shells, on being dissolved in dilute hydro- 

 chloric acid, left a very large residue of argillaceous matter, 

 and it was held that the "ash theory" had been confirmed. 

 Now, although this theory was only half sound, in so far 

 accounted for the disappearance of the carbonate of lime, 

 and was very soon found to be untenable as regarded the 

 source of the clay, it was of great use in giving a provisional 

 form to the ideas at that early period of the cruise, and it was 

 in the testing of it that the truth was very gradually worked 

 1 1 must always be honourably connected with the memory 

 of Sir Wvville Thomson. 



< >n !ge between Bermuda, Halifax, and the Azores, 



thedepo -ved modifications due to the carrying power 



of ice. Ice, starting from continental land bearing its 



dlbris, drops it on nulling, and thus distributes terrigenous 



matter to a much greater distance from the shore than would 



otherwise be possible. The characteristic feature of such 



deposits is the presence of quart/ -and at great distances, 



Atones and boulders in closer proximity to the ice sources. 



Between Bermuda and Halifax, in lat. 41 14' X., long. 



65 45' W., the dredge brought up a boulder of syenite weighing 



The far-carrying power of ice was thus strikingly 



illustrated, and it was thought that it might be sufficient 



count, by the (\\-\\ i and decomposition of the 



dropped, for all the mineral matter on that part 



;t floor of the ocean. The fine -,md from primary rocks 



!i W;IN found in the muds on the way between Bermuda 



'he Azorei furnished less striking but equally convincing 



proof of the di-tril>utinu f power <> the North Atlantic. 



The question, which had be< > d win -n the ship 



whether the foramimf. r.i. whose shells make up 



na oozes, live at the surface or the bottom, had 



to be answered in favour of the t<>nn< ; And it was not 



B. in. \ 



