DECEMBER 8, 1899. ] 
edge that the study of nature’s secrets is 
the ordained method by which the greatest 
good and happiness shall finally come to the 
human race. 
Where, then, are the greatest laboratories 
of research in this city, in this country, 
nay, in the world? We seea few miserable 
structures here and there occupied by a few 
starving professors who are nobly striving 
to do the best with the feeble means at their 
disposal. But where in the world is the in- 
stitute of pure research in any department 
of science with an income of $100,000,000 
per year. Where can the discoverer in 
pure science earn more than the wages of a 
day laborer or cook? But $100,000,000 per 
year is but the price of an army or a navy 
designed to kill other people. Just think 
of it, that one per cent. of this sum seems 
to most people too great to save our chil- 
dren and descendants from misery and even 
death ! 
But the twentieth century is near—may 
we not hope for better things beforeits end? 
May we not not hope to influence the public 
in this direction ? 
Let us go forward, then, with confidence 
in the dignity of our pursuit. Let us hold 
our heads high with a pure conscience while 
we seek the truth, and may the American 
Physical Society do its share now and in 
generations yetto come in trying to unravel 
the great problem of the constitution and 
laws of the Universe. 
Henry A. Row ann. 
CRUISE OF THE ALBATROSS. 
Tue following letter has been received by 
the U. S. Fish Commission from Professor 
Alexander Agassiz. It is dated Papeete 
Harbor, Tahiti Island, September 30, 1899, 
and gives an account of the voyage of the 
Albatross up to that time. 
I arrived at San Francisco on August 
20th, and after consulting with Commander 
SCIENCE. 
835 
Moser we decided to leave on Wednesday, 
the 23d. Everything shipped from the 
east had arrived with the exception of the 
tow nets sent me by Dr. Kramer, and the 
deep-sea nets kindly ordered for me by 
Professor Chun of Leipzig. Captain Moser 
and I decided not to make any soundings 
nor do any deep-sea work until we had 
passed beyond the lines of soundings al- 
ready run by the Albatross and Thetis be- 
tween California and the Hawaiian Islands. 
In latitude 31° 10’ N., and longitude 
125° W., we made our first sounding in 
1955 fathoms, about 320 miles from Point 
Conception, the nearest land. We occu- 
pied 26 stations until we reached the 
northern edge of the plateau from which 
rise the Marquesas Islands, having run 
from station No. 1,a distance of 3800 miles, 
in a straight line. 
At station No. 2 the depth had increased 
to 2368 fathoms, the nearest land, Guade- 
loupe Island, being about 450 miles, and 
Point Conception nearly 500 miles distant. 
The depth gradually increased to 2628, 
2740, 2810, 2881, 3003, and 3088 fathoms, 
the last in lat. 16° 38’ N., long. 130 14’ W., 
the deepest sounding we obtained thus far 
in the unexplored part of the Pacific 
through which we are passing. From that 
point the depths varied from 2883 to 2690 
and 2776, diminishing to 2583, and gradually 
passing to 2440, 2463, and 2475 fathoms, 
until off the Marquesas, in lat. 7° 58’ S., 
long. 139° 08’ W., the depth became 2287 
fathoms. It then passed to 1929, 1802, and 
1040 fathoms, in lat. 8° 4178, long. 139° 
46’ W., Nukuhiva Island being about 30 
miles distant. Between Nukuhiva and 
Houa-Houna (Ua-Huka) islands we ob- 
tained 830 fathoms, and 5 miles south of 
Nukuhiva 687 fathoms. When leaving 
Nukuhiva for the Paumotus we sounded in 
1284 fathoms about 9 miles south of that 
island. These soundings seem to show that 
this part of the Marquesas rises from a 
