Sept. 3, 1874] 



NATURE 



557 



stream, but yet runs parallel to the island of Yesso,the water 

 begins to deepen rapidly, and at the cast No. 24, or the 

 third cast from the initial point of curve, a depth of 3,493 

 fathoms is found. Forty and eighty miles further on 

 depths of 3,587 fathoms and 3,307 fathoms arc reached ; 

 then the ocean bed or trough of the stream drops nearly a 

 statute mile in the run to the next position, where the 

 sinker is not detached until it has descended to the extra- 

 ordinary depth of 4,340 fathoms. 



" A good specimen of bottom soil was brought up from 

 that great depth, and the Miller's Casella thermometer. 

 No. 18,136, came up a perfect wreck 



" The next six casts were made in over 4,000 fathoms 

 water, the last two revealing depths of 4,411 fathoms and 

 4,655 fathoms respectively, and on both occasions the 

 wire was lost 



" Sometimes the wire comes in much easier than at 

 others, and cast No. 31, made in 4,120 fathoms, occupied 

 only ih. 47m. 42s. 



" The difference must be due lo the varying action of 

 the undercurrents upon the rod, specimen cup, and small 

 lead, increasing or diminishing the resistance in hauling 

 in, according to the extent of curve from the perpen- 

 dicular 



" The conditions under which all these deep casts were 

 made were eminently favourable. Believing that such 

 deep water would be impracticable for cable purposes, I 

 resolved to run inihorc and sound back along the coast 

 of the Kurile Islands to the position of cast No. 22, then 

 to return and skirt those islands and the coast of Kam- 

 schatka as far as Cape Chipounsky, then passing over to 

 the AUitian group 



" If the time on the great circle route for the proposed 

 cable has failed, at least for the present, the results of 

 these soundings will be of interest and value to hydro- 

 graphic science, as establishing the fact of depths in the 

 sea hardly to be expected, in view of the numerous 

 soundings made by her Majesty's steamship Chalh'iigL-r 

 and this ship, over wide expanses of the Atlantic, Pacific, 

 and Indian Oceans, and confirming the existence of a 

 very deep trough under the Japan stream, similar to that 

 cut by the Gulf Stream on our own coast 



" As we passed by Sturup, of the Kurile group, dense 

 volumes of smoke were seen rising out of a crater on the 

 east end of the island." 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE FRENCH 

 ASSOCIATION 



ON Sunday the 33rd there was an excursion to Bou- 

 logne, to visit the steel-pan factory established by 

 the Blanzy Company, and the Laboratory of Zoology, 

 which Prof Giard of Lille has organised by the seaside. 

 On Monday many members paid a visit to Turcoing and 

 Roubaix, two large manufacturing places in the vicinity 

 of Lille, where the visitors were received with much cour- 

 tesy ; every workshop was eagerly thrown open for 

 inspection. 



At a general session held in the evening, M. Menier, 

 the large chocolate manufacturer who has realised an 

 immense fortune in his trade, delivered a very appro- 

 priate lecture on the creation of wealth by science. No 

 one has had so much practical experience on that subject 

 in the society. M. Alglave, formerly a professor in the 

 Academy of Douai, gave an impressive address on coal- 

 mining in Northern France. It was the first time that 

 M. Alglave, who is very popular in Northern France, was 

 allowed to deliver an address since he got into difficulties 

 with the Government. His address created quite a sen- 

 sation in the city. 



On Tuesday there was a general excursion to Anzin 

 coal-mines. A splendid luncheon was given to the 

 vibitors by the Anzin Company, in a large storehouse 

 tastefully ornamented for the occasion with national flags 



and a trophy of all implements used by miners in their 

 underground industry. M. Marsilly, the general direc- 

 tor, proposed " The Visitors," in the name of the Council 

 of Administration. ;\I. Wurtz, in return, proposed '• The 

 Council and the illustrious President," whom he did not 

 name, but who is no less a person than M. Thiers, at the 

 mention of whose name enthusiastic cheers broke forth, 

 interrupting M. Wurtz for more than five minutes. M. de 

 Marsilly delivered a very long and able address, sum- 

 marising all that the mining industry owed to science, and 

 giving a few curious figures relating to his Company. It 

 is 137 years old, and was the first French firm to import 

 steam-engines from England. The number of hands is 

 15,000, and persons depending upon them 60,000. They 

 are now constructing steam-engines, of 500 horse-power, 

 for underground work. The society visited the Haveley 

 pit, one of the forty belonging to tlie Company, whose 

 concession covers about 100,000 acres, and is said to be 

 worth more than 8,000,000 sterling. On the same evening 

 M. Gaston Tissander delivered an address on aerostation 

 specially considei-ed as to its meteorological uses. The 

 lecture was illustrated by diagrams showing forms of 

 clouds, optical phenomena connected with aerosta- 

 tion, iS;c. 



On Wednesday all the Sections were busy discussing 

 the several communications, and held two sessions. M. 

 Bergeron gave a most interesting address in the Engineer- 

 ing Department, on the boring of the tunnel between 

 France and England He said, upon authority, that the 

 French Government had sent to Lord Derby a note ask- 

 ing him if he objected to the granting of the exclusive 

 right for a number of years to a private Company. If the 

 English Government does not raise any objection, the bill 

 will be laid before the \'ersaille3 Assembly at the end of 

 the present parliamentary holidays. Special provisions 

 will be made for inundating the tunnel in case of war 

 breaking out between the two countries. The holders of 

 the concession can renounce their rights after spending 

 80,000/. in boring a gallery of exploration at least 1,100 ft. 

 under the sea from low-water mark. The works are to 

 begin on the French side as soon as the concession 

 will have been granted. MM. Ldon Say, Rothschild, 

 Andrd, &c. are amongst the petitioners. 



There was a very sharp discussion in the Anthropologi- 

 cal Section on some theological points which had been 

 raised. 



In the evening Col. Laus;edit delivered a lecture on 

 optical military telegraphy. Almost all the officers of the 

 garrison were present at the lecture, which was practically 

 illustrated by various experiments. 



In the morning of Thursday the business of the Sections 

 was transacted as on the previous day, and at one o'clock 

 a general meeting was held in the Hotel de Ville under 

 the presidency of M. Wurtz. Some modifications of the 

 by-laws and regulations of the society were unanimously 

 adopted, and the committee was instructed to ask from 

 the Government a decree declaring the society of pubhc 

 utility. This is a step necessary, according to the French 

 laws, to give societies the right of holdmg properties, 

 accepting legacies, and obtaining parliamentary grants. 



M. Wurtz had directed a message to the British Asso- 

 ciation asking them to send a delegation to take part in 

 the Lille meeting. This could not be accomplished, 

 owing to the distance, but it ended in an exchange of 

 telegraphic courtesies between the two societies. 



The British Association being our model, it is necessary 

 for us to study its workings, in order to adapt them as far 

 as we can to our French circumstances and scientific 

 pecul arities. Consequently, the committee was instructed 

 not to name the opcnmg day for the 1875 meeting before 

 ascertaining whether it shall not coincide with the opening 

 of the next session of the British Association. 



Two cities were in competition for the 1S75 meeting — • 

 Clermont Ferrand, where the Puy de Dome Observatory 



