THE DEPTH AND MARINE DEPOSITS OF THE 
PACIFIC OCEAN. 
INTRODUCTION. 
Or all the additions to our knowledge of the depth and deposits of the 
Pacific Ocean during recent years, the most important are probably those 
acquired by Dr. Alexander Agassiz during his various cruises in the Pacific. 
Before proceeding to a detailed description of the samples of the deposits 
submitted to us for examination, it seems desirable to bring together the 
various accounts published in Dr. Alexander Agassiz’s preliminary reports, 
as these show the observations made at the time of collection during the 
course of these expeditions. 
First Expedition. Dr. Alexander Agassiz’s first expedition in the Pacific, 
in the U.S. Fish Commission steamer “ Albatross,” in the year 1891, con- 
sisted of three short cruises off the west coast of Central America. The 
first cruise was from Panama to Point Mala, thence to Cocos Island, thence 
to Malpelo Island, and back to Panama. The second cruise was from 
Panama to Galera Point, thence to the southern face of the Galapagos, and 
thence to Acapulco. The third cruise was from Acapulco, up the Gulf of 
California, as far as Guaymas. Dr. Agassiz published a general sketch of 
the expedition,’ from which the following remarks on the character of the 
bottom-deposits are extracted : — 
“We dredged frequently in most characteristic Globigerina ooze. On 
one occasion the trawl came up literally filled with masses of a species of 
Rhabdammina closely allied to R. lineata. 
“Tt is interesting to note that, at two localities not far from the coast 
off Mariato Point, we came across patches of modern greensand similar in 
1 Bull. Mus. Comp. Zobl., Vol. XXIII, No. 1, 1892. 
