ON THE FKENCII DEEP-SEA EXPLORATION IN THE BAY OF BISCAY. 379 



augured well for the success of tlie expedition, and it has been fully jns- 

 tified. At the suggestion of M. de Folin, the Minister of Public Instruc- 

 tion graciously invited mc and the Rev. A. M. Norman (a well-known 

 naturalist) to take part in the expedition. Mr. Norman had been my 

 valued companion for many years past in similar but less important 

 excursions to Shetland and Norway. It was to me a great jaleasure to 

 be again associated with him. I regarded the invitation as far more than 

 a compliment ; it was a great honour. 



I may here mention that, immediately before the commencement of 

 the expedition, M. de Folin, Mr. Norman, and myself had some prepara- 

 tory boat-dredging in the Fosse de Cap Breton. This was done at the 

 expense of the French Government. When has our own Government 

 shown such generosity in the cause of science to French naturalists ? 



The vessel assigned for the purposes of the expedition was the . 

 TravaiUeur, a paddle-wheel steamer of over 900 tons, of 150 horse-power, :' 

 and carrying four guns. She is an aviso, or despatch-boat, and is stationed * 

 at Rochefort for occasional service. She was supplied with a capital 

 donkey-engine, and immense stores of cordage, sounding-wire, and other 

 apparatus. She had a very happy name, being an indefatigable worker. 

 Capt. E. LI. F. Richard was the commander, or lieidoiant de vaisseau, and 

 the other officers were Lieuts. Mahieux, Jecquet, Villegente, and Bourget, 

 Aide-Commissaire Gonsselin, and Dr. Duplouy. Let me now express my 

 sincere thanks to the officers for their great kindness and urbanity. They 

 took a great interest in the work, and materially promoted the welfare of 

 the expedition. The crew consisted of 128 men; the usual number was 

 between 80 and 90, but extra hands were taken in consequence of the 

 heavy work entailed by sounding during the night. All these men 

 seemed to be well-conducted, as well as good sailors ; and, although they 

 had only two meals a day, their physique was quite equal to that of our 

 best British seamen. Mr. Norman and I took with us, as dredger, a 

 steady and intelligent man, John Wilson ; and Prof. Marion had his dredger 

 named Armand. These men were of great use in sifting the material 

 brought up by the dredges. For the captain, T can only echo the opinion 

 expressed by Prof. A. Milne-Edwards in his preliminary Report, that 

 his arrangements were first-rate, and his skill admirable, e-specially con- 

 sidering that the kind of work was new to him, and that he had not 

 previously made or even seen any deep-sea dredging. 



The members of the Commission assembled at Bayonne ; and the 

 TravaiUeur arrived there (3n the 16th of July. The next morning she 

 went to sea, with all the party on board except the President, Avho was 

 obliged to return to Paris, and might also have justly claimed exemption 

 from active service, being in his eightieth year. Until the 1st of August 

 (with the exception of two days, the 18th and 25th, which we spent at 

 San Sebastian and Santaudcr,) we were hard at work sounding, dredging, 

 and trawling. The weather was veiy fine, and the dreaded Bay of Biscay 

 lost its stormy character on tliis occasion. 



The principal object of the expedition was to ascertain the nature of / 

 the fauna which inhabits at considerable depths this part of the Bay of i 

 Biscay ; and this object was thoroughly and successfully accomplished. | 

 Twenty-three dredgings were made for that purpose at depths ranging' 

 from 337 to 2600 metres, each metre being about 39 inches, or rather 

 more than half a fathom. The dredgings between 600 and 1000 fathoms 

 were the most important. Every department of the Invertebrata was 



