The first part of the voyage, that to the Canary Islands, was made 
merely tentative, with a view of getting everything on board into 
perfect order for correct observations, and dividing the labour of 
research in the most convenient way amongst the members of the 
staff. 
On the 14th February 1873 the “ Challenger” sailed from Santa 
Cruz to cross the Atlantic, and the real work of the expedition 
commenced. She reached Sombrero on the 15tli March, the Ber- 
mudas on the 4th April, and Halifax on the 9th of May. Leaving 
Halifax again on the 15th, she went southwards and back to the 
Bermudas, to make another section of the Gulf Stream. On both 
occasions the most detailed and interesting observations were made. 
Subsequently she crossed the Atlantic three times, visited Australia, 
New Zealand, the Malay Archipelago, Hong Kong, and Valparaiso, 
sailing altogether 68,930 miles, and returning to Sheerness on the 
24th May 1876, after an absence of three years and a half. 
Shortly after his return, Dr C. Wyville Thomson received the 
honour of knighthood, and was appointed by the Lords Com- 
missioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury “Director of the ‘ Challenger’ 
Expedition Commission.” In the same year he was awarded a 
Royal Medal by the Royal Society for his successful direction of 
the scientific investigations carried on by H.M.S. “Challenger.” 
In July he and the other members of the scientific staff of the 
“ Challenger” were entertained at a banquet in Edinburgh. On 
going with Emeritus Professor Balfour to TJpsala, as the repre- 
sentative of the Senatus of the University of Edinburgh on the 
occasion of the tercentenary of that ancient University, the King 
of Sweden created him a Knight of the Order of the Polar Star. 
He was a Eellow of the Royal Societies of London and Edinburgh, 
a Eellow of the Royal Irish Academy, Ph.D. Jena, Fellow of the 
Linnean, Geological, Zoological, and Palaeontological Societies of 
London, and of various foreign and colonial institutes. In 1877 
he was appointed to deliver the Rede Lecture 1 at Cambridge, and 
in 1878 he presided over the Geographical Section of the British 
Association at its meeting in Dublin, and was made LL.D. of the 
University of Dublin. 
Sir Charles discharged the duties of his chair with his customary 
vigour on his return from the voyage of the “Challenger,” and 
