232 CHALLENGER 



globe. Even as this is being written there conies a report from 

 the Scripps histitution of Oceanography in CaHfornia that their 

 research vessel Horizon has sounded in ^814 fathoms in the Tonga 

 Trench, where she has carried out a considerable survey. A study 

 of their sounding records leads them to believe that depths of 

 at least (^900 fathoms probably exist here.* 



Ever since Andrew Balfour brought up his cherished bottom 

 sample from the depths of the Kermadec Trench in 189^, the 

 deep places in the oceans which have subsequently been dis- 

 covered have exceeded in depth the height of Mount Everest. 



Nor are those who will one day actually visit these deeps so 

 far behind the discoverers, for Professor Auguste Piccard recently 

 dived in his bathyscaphe to 1722 fathoms in the Mediterranean. 

 This record was later broken by the two French Naval Officers, 

 Lieutenant-Commander Nicolas Houotand Engineer Henri Willm, 

 who descended in their submarine-shaped craft to 221^ fathoms 

 ofF Dakar. They were confident that their bathyscaphe would have 

 withstood much greater pressures ; so that in the not too distant 

 future Man may actually visit the great Pacific depths in the 

 Philippines, Japan, Marianas and Kermadec and Tonga Trenches. 



* In July, I9i'6, it was reported that H.M. Submarine Telemachus had, whilst 

 on a gravity survey and carrying American and Australian scientists, sounded 

 with sonic methods to a depth of ^67 j fathoms in the Tonga Trench. Her 

 Commanding Officer was Lieutenant-Commander J. E. Moore who had had 

 the battle with wild bees on the water tower at Mombasa in 1942. 



