iJiVEsriGAtlOxNS IN THE INDIA.\ OCEAN. 331 



Incesiiijations in the hulubu OceOjii. — i'lrd Report of the Committee, 

 considiiiij of 8ir JoHN iluilKAY (Chairman), Mr. J. STANLEY" 

 Gardiner (Secretanj), Captain E. W. Creak, Professors W. A. 

 Herdman, S. J. HiCKSON, and J, AV. Judd, Mr. J. J. Lister, and 

 Dr. H. E. Mill, appoiided to carri/ oib ait, T^icpeditioii to bbvesiujate 

 the Indian Ocean beiweeu India ojnd South Africoj, in vieiv of a, 

 possible laml connection^ to examine the deep suhmenjed hanhs, the 

 Nazareth andj Sayoj de Malha, and uli<o the distribidion of mo.rine 

 animals. 



The Coiuiuitlec record with deep regret the deaths of Dr. W. T. Blauford, 

 F.R.S., Avho was especially interested in the question of the former con- 

 nection between India and South Africa, and of Rear- Admiral Sir 

 W. J. L. AVhartou, K.C.B., RR.S., late Hydrographer to the Admiralty, 

 l)oth members of this Coumiittee. 



The Committee regret that they were unable to present a report in 

 1905. They have now received the following report from Mr. J. Sta.nley 

 Cardiner, who has had charge of the work : — 



Ceylon to Chagos. 



Having obtained our stores and scientific equipment, we (Mr. J . Stanley 

 Gardiner and Mr. C. Forster Cooper) left England in March 1905 for 

 Ceylon, where we were to join H.M.S. ' Sealark.' Unfortunately, the ship 

 was detained by an accident until May 9, when we weighed anchor, setting a 

 course for Peros Banhos, the large north-west atoll of the Chagos group. 

 On May 1 1 we reached a latitude south of the Maldives, and commenced 

 sounding, in view of the possible existence of a bank between this group 

 and the Chagos, as indicated by the soundings of the German ' Valdivia ' 

 Expedition. We may say at once that our soundings showed a depth of 

 more than 2,000 fathoms between the two groups. The depth increases 

 from the Maldives and the Cliagos towards the centre of the passage, and 

 in this position there would seem to be a broad flat, with a depth of 

 2,000 to 2,150 fathoms. Of course, both east and west, the depth 

 probably increases gradually to 2,500 fathoms or even more, but one 

 obviously cannot build up any views of a possible former connection of the 

 Maldive and Chagos Banks on such a slender basis. 



On our way down we took samples of the sea water and of the 

 plankton (pelagic fauna) at the surface, and at every 25 fathoms to 

 150 fathoms, using a wire with a heavy weight at the end running over a 

 measuring block, and clamping on the nets as each 25 fathoms ran out. 

 We also took a series of hauls with the Fowler and the Wolfenden closing 

 nets, so as to get our wire into trim, kc. The weather was dead calm 

 with a moderate swell, and generally our results were satisfactory. The 

 Fowler net, being opened at a certain depth, and then hauled up vertically 

 to a lesser depth and closed, seemed more suitalile for the conditions pre- 

 vailing in this region than the Wolfenden, w^hich is opened and closed at 

 the same depth, being dependent on the drift of the ship (in the absence 

 of any deep-sea current) for what enters the actual net ; heavy messengei's, 

 too, are essential for opening and closing the nets. Of course, these 



