io TOILERS IN THE SEA. 



depth. The earliest record of living animals from 

 any depth approaching 1,000 fathoms, was that of 

 John Ross, in Baffin's Bay, in 1818, of which his 

 official account states : " Soundings were obtained 

 correctly in 1,000 fathoms, consisting of soft mud, in 

 which were worms." Later on (1843) Sir James 

 Ross reports : " I have no doubt that, from however 

 great a depth we may be enabled to bring up the 

 mud and stones of the bed of the ocean, we shall 

 find them teeming with animal life ; the extreme 

 pressure at the greatest depth does not appear to 

 affect these creatures ; hitherto, we have not been 

 able to determine this point beyond a thousand 

 fathoms, but from that depth several shell-fish have 

 been brought up with the mud." In 1860, Dr. 

 Wallich records that thirteen star-fishes came up 

 from a sounding of 1,260 fathoms. In his "Diary," 

 published in 1862, he advocated the view that the 

 conditions of the bottom of the sea were not such as 

 to preclude the possibility of the existence of even 

 the higher forms of animal life. Passing to the 

 "Porcupine" Expedition, from 1868 to 1870, we 

 have the record that " Sixteen hauls of the dredge 

 were taken at depths beyond 1,000 fathoms, and in 

 all cases life was abundant. In 1869, we took two 

 casts in depths greater than 2,000 fathoms. In both 

 these life was abundant ; and with the deepest cast, 

 2,435 fathoms, off the mouth of the Bay of Biscay, 



