834 
plateau having a depth of 2000 fathoms, 
and about 50 miles in width, as at station 
No. 29 we obtained 1932 fathoms. 
Between the Marquesas and the north- 
western extremity of the Paumotus we 
occupied 9 stations, the greatest depth on 
that line being at station No. 31, in lat. 
12° 20’ S., and long. 144° 15’ W. The 
depths varied between 2451 and 2527 
fathoms, and diminished to 1208 fathoms 
off the west end of Ahii, and then to 706 
fathoms when about 16 miles N. E. of 
Avatoru Pass in Rairoa Island. 
We developed to a certain extent the 
width of the Paumotu group plateau by a 
line of soundings in continuation of the 
direction of Avatoru Pass, extending a little 
less than 9 miles seaward where we ob- 
tained a depth of 819 fathoms. Subse- 
quently we ran a similar line normal to the 
south shore of the lagcon of Rairoa a 
distance of nearly 12 miles into 897 fath- 
oms. 
Between Rairoa and Tikehau, the next 
island to the westward, we got a depth of 
1486 fathoms. 
Between Tikehau and Mataiwa 6 sound- 
ings were made with a depth of 488 fathoms 
half a mile from shore, and a greatest depth 
of 850 fathoms 63 miles from Tikehau. 
The slope approaching Mataiwa is steeper 
than the Tikehau slope. 
From Mataiwa to Makatea (Aurora) 
Island, we made 6 soundings: from 642 
fathoms about 24 miles off shore, to 581 
fathoms about 14 miles off the west side of 
the latter island, the depths passing to 860, 
1257, 1762, and the greatest depth being 
2267 fathoms ; then 2243, and rising more 
rapidly near Makatea to 851 fathoms. 
Between Makatea and Tahiti we made 8 
soundings, beginning with 1363 fathoms, 2 
miles off the southern end of Makatea, pass- 
ing to 2238, 2363 (the greatest depth on 
that line), 2224, 1930, 1585, 775, and 
finally 867 fathoms off Point Venus. 
SCIENCE. 
[N.S. Vou. X. No. 258. 
These make in all 72 soundings up to the 
present time. 
The deep basin developed by our sound- 
ings between lat. 24° 30’ N., and lat. 6° 25/ 
8., varying in depth from nearly 3100 
fathoms to a little less than 2500 fathoms, 
is probably the western extension of a deep 
basin indicated by two soundings on the 
charts, to the eastward of our line, in longi- 
tudes 125° and 120° W., and latitudes 9° 
and 11° N., one of over 3100 fathoms, the 
other of more than 2550 fathoms, showing 
this part of the Pacific to be of considerable 
depth, and to form a uniformly deep basin 
of great extent, continuing westward prob- 
ably, judging from the soundings, for a long 
distance. 
I would propose, in accordance with the 
practice adopted for naming such well-de- 
fined basins of the ocean, that this large 
depression of the Central Pacific, extending 
for nearly 30° of latitude, be named Moser 
Basin. 
The character of the bottom of this basin 
is most interesting. The haul of the trawl 
made at station No. 2, lat. 28° 23’ N., long. 
126° 57’ W., brought up the bag full of red 
clay and manganese nodules with sharks’ 
teeth and cetacean ear-bones; and at nearly 
all our stations we had indications of man- 
ganese nodules. At station No. 13, in 
2690 fathoms, lat. 9° 57’ N., long. 187° 47’ 
W., we again obtained a fine trawl haul of 
manganese nodules and red clay; there 
must have been at least enough to fill a 
40-gallon barrel. 
The nodules of our first haul were either 
slabs from 6 to 18 inches in length and 4 to 
6 inches in thickness, or small nodules 
ranging in size from that of a walnut toa 
lentil or less; while those brought up at 
station No. 13 consisted mainly of nodules 
looking like mammillated cannon balls 
varying from 44 to 6 inches in diameter, 
the largest being 64} inches. We again 
brought up manganese nodules at the Equa- 
