ch. liii] Antarctic Oceanography 
429 
Some years after the return of the Challenger, the 
Germans despatched the Valdivia on a deep sea sounding 
expedition. She left the Cape in November, 1898, and 
reached the drift ice in 56 0 45' S. Further progress was 
stopped in 64 0 15' S. and 54°2o'E. A depth of 3000 
fathoms was obtained, and specimens of gneiss, granite, 
and schist, as well as a mass of red sandstone, were brought 
up, probably dropped by icebergs. The ocean floor 
between Kerguelen Island and Enderby Land was strongly 
folded, a depth of 1300 fathoms alternating with great 
abysses of 2000 and 3000 fathoms. Many lines of soundings 
are still needed from the known areas "near the southern 
extremities of America, Africa, Australia, and New Zea- 
land to the southern continental shelves, as well as along 
the edges of the shelves themselves. Great progress, 
however, has been made in this respect within the last 
fifteen years, large collections have been obtained, and 
the Antarctic ocean depths have been sounded in several 
directions with important physical and biological results. 
