268 The Cruise of the " Princesse Alice" 



living settlers, such as deep sea polyps and corals, and favours 

 their existence. When once started, they grow upwards, often 

 in perpendicular pillars, the living building upon the dead, 

 until in time they reach the surface or near to it. If the 

 conditions, principally those of temperature, are favourable, 

 the reef-building species settle on it and in time produce a 

 coral island ; if they are unfavourable, we have banks or shoals 

 such as the Dacia bank, the Seine bank, the Gorringe, the 

 Josephine, and, when found, the Chaucer bank. 



The route was now for home. Only one more station was 

 made in the deep water of over 3000 fathoms recently discovered 

 by the Telegraph Construction Company's steamer " Britannia," 

 and on the I7th of September the yacht returned to Havre 

 after a very successful cruise of exactly two months. 



