15 



In the ocean explorations undertaken in the early 

 Victorian Era, the main object was to determine the sound- 

 ings round the British Coast-line. The result confirming 

 the theory that, at an age, geologically remote, there was 

 dry land connection between the west coast of this country, 

 Brittany on the coast of France, Denmark and Norway ; 

 while Scotland and the North of Ireland had no sea-line 

 between them. The dry land from the coast of Cornwall 

 extending out to a hundred miles. 



Expeditions were afterwards fitted out with the object of 

 plumbing greater depths, and ascertaining the nature of sea 

 life, if discoverable. To the scientists in charge of these 

 operations we are indebted for the display of facts relating 

 to the wonder world of life, in depths from 1,000 fathoms to 

 over 6,000, or about 6 miles of water. Even in this abyss of 

 darkness, it was found that there is moving existence and 

 motion of the water. 



The more the student examines nature's ways and 

 workings, the more will he find how lavish she is in the gifts 

 of beauty that come from her hand, in the exquisite tracery 

 on a specimen of coral or flora, in the delicate minute shell 

 formation which are singly invisible to the unaided eye. 

 Think of the marvels of ingenuity in the formation and 

 growth of these animalculse, the foraminifera, the 

 polycystina shells, the diatoms, sponge spikeules, and other 

 infusoria, each having an individual existence, living its 

 little day, and completing its life. All this mass of minute 

 creation falling from depths of several hundreds of fathoms 

 to the abysmal ocean bed in countless myriads of showers, 

 from countless thousands of years. You cannot trail the 

 dredging sack to 2,000 fathoms without finding the globi- 

 gerinous ooze full of these tiny organisms, morsels which are 

 cast forth like dust on the land, or the sand of the sea in 

 multitude, filling every crevice of the deep with their 

 remains. 



Owing to the constant circulation in the ocean, the gases 

 of the atmosphere which are everywhere absorbed on the 

 surface, are carried down to the greatest depths, and thus 

 these living organisms flourish through the whole extent of 

 ocean. Water is but lightly compressible, and almost any 

 substance that will fall to the bottom of a cup will be carried 

 down to the greatest depths, and although these organisms 



