72 EXPEDITION OF THE "ALBATEOSS," 1899-1900. 



From soutli of Taliiti on the way to Valparaiso the " Challenger " 

 also obtained manganese nodules at Stations 285, 286, 289, in 2375, 2335, 

 and 2550 fathoms; and further to the east, at Stations 293 and 297, in 

 2025 and 1775 fathoms. The ''Challenger'" also found manganese nodules 

 in 2160 fathoms, about 100 miles from the coast of South America, as well 

 as in the Atlantic far from continental land, and at one station in the 

 Indian Ocean in 2600 fathoms; but the "Challenger" obtained none north 

 of the Equator, either in the Atlantic or in the Pacific, so that this first 

 haul of ours in hit. 28' 23' N. and long. 126 57' W., as well as hauls further 

 south on our way to the Marquesas, greatly extend the area over which 

 such deposits of manganese nodules and red clay probably exist, — areas 

 which, according to Murray, are situated in deep water and far from 

 continental land, too far from land to be masked by telluric deposits, and 

 at too great a depth to be covered by the shells of Foraminifera and 

 other pelagic animals, as suggested by Murray. The "Valdivia" obtained 

 manganese nodules in the Southern Atlantic in lat. 30° 34.9' S.. long. 

 6° 10.2' W., about 2600 fathoms. 



We could find no spherules of cosmic iron in the few samples of 

 manganese nodules which we ground to powder. 



In the track of great oceanic currents Globigerinse shells extend to 

 greater depths, and their tests are found mixed with red clay quite 

 frequently at depths quite beyond tliose at which they ordinarily disap- 

 pear; see Stations 14 to 22, on our way to the Marquesas, where the 

 deposit is a Globigerina ooze at depths far beyond those at wliich, accord- 

 ing to Murray, Globigerina ooze should occur, — in depths of 2776, 2440, 

 2463, 2495, and 2287 fathoms. 



At Station 10, in 3088 fathoms, lat. 16" 38' N., long. 136' 14' W., 

 we lowered the "Blake" trawl, rnfortunately there was no evidence 

 of the trawl having been on the bottom, although we had as much 

 wire-rope out in proportion to the deptli as in otlier hauls. The net 

 came up clean, and although it towed open through such an inmiense 

 length of colunui of water, the net contained nothing which we had 

 not caught with the tow-net inside of 200 fjithoms from the surface. 

 It had .so-called deep-sea fi.she.s, — Cyclothone and Myctophum, — and deep- 



