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



duties in which she was to be employed, were carried out under his general superin- 

 tendence. All the guns were removed with the exception of two, and the space which 

 they and the stores and ammunition in connection with them had occupied, was devoted 

 to the necessary accommodation for laboratories, workrooms, dredging and sounding 

 rope, storage of specimens, spirits of wine, boxes, trawls, and nets. 



The following description of the arrangements finally adopted on board the ship, will 

 be readily understood by reference to the accompanying plans. 



Upper Deck. 



On the forecastle three cordage racks, each 5 feet square and 3^ feet high, were 

 placed, and in them the dredging rope in use was coiled, each rack holding about 

 2000 fathoms. Attached to each side of the ship, just before the foremast, was a reel of 

 sounding line suspended on spurs extending from the bulwarks, so that it could revolve 

 freely ; one reel held the line used to ascertain the depth, and the other that set 

 apart for temperature observations. Projecting outwards from each side abreast the 

 foremast, were two small platforms level with the upper deck, placed exactly under 

 the foreyard, so that the deep-sea sinkers could be lowered into the water without the 

 necessity of hoisting them over the bulwarks. These platforms also rendered it possible 

 to work lines simultaneously from the fore and main yards, so that in fine weather speci- 

 mens of water could be obtained from various depths forward, whilst temperature 

 observations were being carried on from the dredging platform. In the central part of 

 the ship, before the mainmast, a dredging platform was built level with the hammock 

 nettings, from which the operations of dredging and trawling could be pursued, and 

 upon which the contents of the dredge might be emptied, so that the naturalists, while 

 engaged in sifting the mud and preserving the specimens, might not be interrupted by 

 the seamen working the ropes ; and also in order that the refuse from the dredge might 

 be thrown overboard without dirtying the decks, for which purpose two large shafts 

 were fitted from the platform to the water's edge. The sieves and tubs used in sifting 

 the mud and ooze brought up in the dredgings were kept on the port side of this bridge. 

 Here also were permanently situated two large oblong boxes, with strong zinc cases inside, 

 for holding spirit, in which large fish, reptiles, and mammals were kept for about ten 

 days, before being finally packed in tins for transmission to England. 



Under the after part of the dredging platform a small engine was placed, of eighteen 

 horse-power, which worked a series of drums attached to each end of a shaft extending 

 across the ship, so that two lines could be worked simultaneously, one on each side ; 

 another advantage was also gained by having drums on each end of the shaft, for, when 

 the strain on the dredging rope was so great that the friction of the drum revolving 

 was not sufficient to make it bite (even with ten or twelve men holding on behind, 



