DISCOVERY 



327 



and Professor J. Stanley Gardiner, that steps should 

 be taken to impress H.M. Government with the need of 

 a national expedition for the exploration of the ocean. 



Many of the outstanding problems were indicated. 

 The changes in the physico-chemical characters of 

 sea-water and their relation to the quantity of plankton 

 must be determined, the differences in composition 

 and abundance between tropical plankton and that of 

 temperate and polar seas requires much investigation, 

 and the distribution and action of denitrifying bacteria 

 must be studied. These are but a few of the more 

 intricate biological problems awaiting the oceano- 

 grapher. Much has yet to be learnt regarding the 

 breeding and migration of fishes and whales. The 

 wide subject of bionomics of marine animals and 

 plants is yet in its infancy. 



These biological questions are intimately related 

 to ones of direct economic value. As the pressure of 

 the world's population becomes greater, the demand 

 for food is more and more difficult to meet from land 

 resources alone. Fisheries thus gain increased im- 

 portance, and it is essential that the food resources of 

 the sea should be investigated and measured as far as 

 possible. So closely are fishery problems bound up 

 with purely scientific research that no dividing-line 

 is possible. Investigations in any physico-chemical 

 or biological problem in the sea probably have bearing 

 on the distribution and abundance of fish, and so 

 for very practical reasons should be pursued. 



An oceanographical expedition would also be 

 concerned in determining, by means of sounding, the 

 configuration of those ocean basins of which we have 

 scanty knowledge. It would investigate the deposits 

 covering the floor of the ocean. Unfortunately, there 

 is no apparatus by which it is possible to penetrate 

 the deep sea deposits and secure a sample of the rock 

 in situ beneath. There is urgent need for scientific 

 research in tidal phenomena. 



Such an expedition is no light task. It requires 

 careful preparation and a well-chosen vessel. Much 

 time would be required — two to three years at least — 

 because oceanographical operations are slow to carry 

 out, and time must be allowed for failures and accidents. 

 The vessel would require to refit and provision at 

 various ports, delays which, of course, would curtail 

 the time spent at sea. The Challenger was a corvette 

 of some 2,300 tons with auxiliary- steam power. She 

 was specially fitted out for the work and proved most 

 satisfactory. Officers and crew were supplied by the 

 Navj', while the scientific staff were civilians. Similar 

 collaboration is now required. The Admiralty, it is 

 hoped, will be able to find a suitable ship in which 

 accommodation and steadiness are greater essentials 

 than speed. Deck space and laboratory accommodation 

 are essential, and the vessel must be one suitable for 



work in all climates. In view of the cost of a vessel 

 suited for magnetic work, it seems hardly necessary 

 to conduct such research on board. Moreover, the 

 work of the United States research vessel Carnegie has 

 to a large extent obviated the necessity for this. 



Considerations of economy in the use of Government 

 resources are, or ought to be, of prime importance 

 to-day, but economy can be carried too far if it causes 

 the neglect of valuable scientific work, and allows 

 research in the many problems of oceanography either 

 to be neglected or conducted solely or chiefly by other 

 countries. Moreover, it must be remembered that the 

 ship itself would incur no cost except in fittings and 

 appliances, while the officers and men, being drawn 

 from the Navy, would simply be transferred from 

 one branch to another of service. 



Some general works on oceanography include : The Ocean, 

 by Sir John Murray (Home University Library), 2S. 6d. ; The 

 Depths of the Ocean, by Sir John Murray and Dr. J. Hjort 

 (Macmillan, 1912), 28s. ; Science of the Sea, edited by G. H. 

 Fowler (John JIurray, 191 2), 6s. ; Conditions of Life in the Sea, 

 by James Johnstone (Cambridge University Press, 1908), 

 9s. net ; and various popular volumes on the Challenger 

 expedition in addition to the scientific results. Reference 

 may also be made to Professor \V. A. Herdman's presidential 

 address to the British Association at Cardiff (Salure, August 

 26, 1920), and to " The Scientific Investigation of the Ocean" 

 (Nature, September 2, 1920). 



Nelson's Approach at 

 Trafalgar 



By J. Holland Rose, Litt.D. 



In this brief note on a great subject I have no space in 

 which to describe fully either the antecedents of Nelson's 

 last battle or his original plan of attack drawn up on 

 October 9, 1805. The former may be found in all 

 English histories, the latter is well set forth by Sir 

 Julian Corbett in his Campaign of Trafalgar,^ and by 

 Sir Henry Newbolt in his Year of Trafalgar.^ But I 

 must briefly summarise that part of it which corre- 

 sponded somewhat to the conditions under which 

 Trafalgar was fought, viz. an attack from to windward. 

 In his famous memorandum of October 9, Nelson 

 sketched his plan as is here shown : 



' Published by Longmans (1910), i6s. 

 ' Published by John Murray (1905), 5s. 



