204 



Staff Commander T. H. Tizard. 



[May 10, 



favourable consideration of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, 

 but their Lordships, whilst agreeing that the exploration of the Faeroe 

 Channel was very important, were unable to spare a vessel for the 

 purpose during the summer of 1881, and, unfortunately, before the 

 end of that year Sir Wyville, whose health had been undermined by 

 exposure to the vicissitudes of climate during the voyage of the 

 " Challenger," succumbed to a severe illness without being able to 

 complete either the report of the voyage of the " Challenger," or the 

 many investigations he had undertaken as bearing more or less on 

 that voyage. 



Shortly after the death of Sir Wyville, Mr. John Murray, one of 

 the naturalists of the " Challenger " expedition, was selected to succeed 

 him as the editor of the " Challenger" Reports, and, as he had accom- 

 panied the " Knight Errant " in her cruise to the Faeroe Channel in 

 1880, and was also of opinion that the exploration of that channel bore 

 directly on the results of the voyage of the " Challenger," he again 

 brought before the Royal Society the desirability for further investiga- 

 ting this submarine ridge, and at their instance the Hydrographer, 

 with the sanction of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, 

 directed H.M.S. "Triton" to carry out this work, and Mr. Murray 

 embarked in that vessel to assist in making the necessary obser- 

 vations. 



Equipment. — The " Triton " being the surveying vessel newly 

 fitted to take the place of the " Porcupine " on the south and east 

 coasts of the United Kingdom, had every appliance on board necessary 

 for the work, with the exception of dredges, trawls, and dredging line. 

 Some dredges remaining from the stock returned by the " Challenger " 

 were found available, and the Royal Society provided the trawls and 

 necessary rope. All the instruments were of the pattern used in the 

 " Challenger " expedition excepting one deep-sea thermometer which 

 was an improvement on the ordinary type in use by Mr. Buchanan. 



Narrative. — The "Triton" arrived at Stornoway on the 25th July, 

 and between that date and the 4th September, made three trips to the 

 Faeroe Channel, each trip being about ten days' duration. Notwith- 

 standing the generally unfavourable condition of the weather ex- 

 perienced, five sectional lines of soundings were obtained across the 

 ridge (which has been named after the late Sir Wyville Thomson), 

 and numerous other soundings between these sectional lines, making a 

 total of 135 soundings, 14 serial temperature soundings, and 17 hauls 

 of the dredge or trawl.* The work of sounding and obtaining 

 temperatures was proceeded with steadily on every occasion when the 

 weather was sufficiently clear to admit of the position of the soundings 

 being ascertained by astronomical observation ; during misty or foggy 



* See table, plan, and diagrams attached. 



