112 pebsident's addeess. 



APPENDIX A. 

 THE FIRST DREDGING IN THE GREAT ABYSS. 



Since my Address was delivered in 1880 my kind friend Sir 

 "Wyville Thomson has been taken from us. I think it may be of 

 interest to publish the following letter as possessing some historic 

 value. It gives, as will be seen, an account of the first dredging 

 which exceeded 2,000 fathoms, and was read by me at the British 

 Association Meeting at Exeter directly after it was received. It 

 was through it that the success he had achieved was thus first 

 made known, though this letter is now for the first time put into 

 print. 



"Belfast, August 7th, 1869. 



" My dear Norman, 



"You are already aware that during the first cruise of 

 the year Mr. Jeffreys and his party dredged and took most im- 

 portant thermometrical and other observations to a depth of 1,476 

 fathoms. "When I took Mr. Jeffreys' place for the second cruise 

 it was the intention to proceed northwards, and to work up a 

 part of the North West passage north of Eockall. I found how- 

 ever on joining the vessel the gear in such perfect order, all the 

 arrangements so excellent, the weather so favourable, and the 

 confidence of our excellent commander so high, that after con- 

 sulting with Captain Calver I suggested to the Hydrographer 

 that we should turn southwards and explore the very deep water 

 off the Bay of Biscay. I was anxious that, if possible, the great 

 questions of the distribution of temperature and of the conditions 

 suitable to the existence of animal life should be finally settled, 

 and the circumstances seemed singularly favourable. 



"No thoroughly reliable soundings have been taken beyond 

 2,800 fathoms, and I felt that if we could approach 2,500 all 

 the grand problems would be virtually solved, and the investiga- 

 tion of any greater depth would be a mere matter of detail and 

 curiosity. 



"The Hydrographer at once consented to this change of plan, 

 and on the l7th of July we left Belfast, and steered round to 



