FOREWORD XXI 



1936. But the ship and her company will never be forgotten in 

 the world of science. 



An expedition of this nature would not have gained lasting fame 

 had not the results been carefully prepared and published. Sir 

 Wyville Thomson set up an office in Edinburgh for this purpose, 

 and here, under his direction, Murray commenced to write the 

 famous Challenger Reports. In 1882 Wyville Thomson died and 

 Sir John Murray eventually published the fifty volumes, each 

 carefully edited and many beautifully illustrated, these forming 

 the very basis for all studies concerned with the oceans from the 

 time of their publication until the present day. To these must be 

 added several popular accounts which were written by members 

 of the expedition, each stressing their particular interests on the 

 voyage. So today, whether one is studying oceanography, 

 geology, geophysics, ornithology, zoology, botany or anthropology 

 one cannot read far without stumbling across a reference to the 

 Challenger Expedition of 1872—76. Such references run into 

 thousands and provide the most suitable memorial to the famous 

 old ship and the enquiring and forceful men who sailed in her. 



Whether the surveying ship Challenger, which has so recently 

 been towed away to the breaker's yard, has, in her very different 

 way, upheld the famous name, the reader will be able to judge 

 for himself. 



