VI THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 



when the whole of the Manuscript was placed in the hands of the late 

 Sir C. Wyville Thomson. 



On the death of Sir C. Wyville Thomson in March 1882 I was entrusted 

 by the Government with the direction of the whole of the work connected 

 with the publication of the Official Reports on the Scientific Results of the 

 Expedition, and as the Meteorological and Magnetical Observations had 

 been for several years in type, these were at once issued as Volume II. 

 of the Narrative, along with two Appendices : one on the Pressure Errors of 

 the Challenger Thermometers, by Professor P. Gr. Tait, and the other on the 

 Petrology of St. Paul's Rocks, by the Abbe A. Renard. 



In his Provisional Preface to the first volume of Zoological Reports, published 

 in 1880, Sir Wyville says: — " The first volume will contain a short narrative 

 of the voyage, with all necessary hydrographical details ; an account of the 

 appliances and methods of observation ; a running outline of the results of the 

 • different observations ; and a chapter epitomising the general results of the 

 voyage. This volume will be illustrated by a general physical chart ; a series 

 of charts of the ship's course ; a series of diagrams of the vertical distribution 

 of temperature ; and some photographs of scenery. It will probably be in two 

 parts, and is being prepared by Staff-Commander Tizard, R.N., and myself." 



Although the form and scope of the present volume was thus sketched 

 out, yet, owing to ill health and his many professional occupations, 

 Sir Wyville was never able to make any progress with the preparation of the 

 Manuscript for the press ; he had, however, selected and caused to be printed 

 the thirty-seven photographic plates which now accompany the text. 



Under these circumstances I consulted with my former colleagues in the 

 Challenger, Staff- Commander T. H. Tizard, Professor H. N. Moseley, and 

 Mr. J. Y. Buchanan, as to the best course to adopt, and it was finally 

 arranged that the first volume of the Narrative of the Cruise should be 

 undertaken by us jointly, and should embrace as far as possible a general 

 account of the Scientific Results of the Expedition — an arrangement which 

 has now been carried out. 



