On the Scientific Exploration of the Deep Sea. 



397 



" Preliminary Report of the Scientific Exploration of the Deep Sea in 

 H.M. Surveying- vessel 'Porcupine/ during the Summerof 1869," 

 conducted by Di\Carpenter, V.P.R.S., Mr. J. Gwyn Jeffreys, 

 F.R.S., and Prof. Wyville Thomson, LL.D., F.R.S. Received 

 November 18, 1809. 



PART I. 



Ixtroductiox. page 



Preliminary Proceedings 397 



Equipment 403 



Narrative. 



First Cruise 416 



Second Cruise 423 



Third Cruise 434 



General Results. 



Physics and Chemistry 453 



Appendices. 



1. Summary of Results of Observations on Samples of Sea-water, made on 



board H.M.S. 1 Porcupine.' By William L. Carpenter, B.A., B.Sc 481 



2. Analyses of Samples of Sea-water collected during the Third Cruise of 



H.M.S. 'Porcupine.' By Dr. Frankland, F.R.S 488 



3. Analyses of Samples of the Deep-Sea-Bottom, collected in the Dredging- 



operations of H.M.S. 4 Porcupine.' By David Forbes, F.R.S 490 



INTRODUCTION. 

 Preliminary Proceedings. 



The following Extracts from the Minutes of the Council of the Royal 

 Society set forth the origin of the f Porcupine' Expedition, and the objects 

 which it was designed to carry out. 



January 21, 1869. 



The Preliminary Report of the Dredging Operations conducted by Drs. 

 Carpenter and Wyville Thomson (in the 'Lightning') having been consi- 

 dered, it was 



Resolved, — That, looking to the valuable results obtained from these 

 Marine Researches, restricted in scope as they have been in a first trial, 

 the President and Council consider it most desirable, with a view to the 

 advancement of Zoology and other branches of science, that the explo- 

 ration should be renewed in the course of the ensuing summer, and 

 carried over a wider area ; and that the aid of Her Majesty's Govern- 

 ment, so liberally afforded last year, be again requested in furtherance 

 of the undertaking. 



VOL. XVIII, 2 I 



