643 
of Edinburgh, Session 1881-82. 
of a ridge rising to within 200 or 250 fathoms from the surface 
between the warm and cold areas of the Faroe Channel. 
This opinion was founded upon the following considerations : — 
1. If an imaginary line be drawn from North Rona to the southern 
end of the Faroe fishing bank, all the bottom temperatures obtained 
in the cold area were situated to the N.E. of this line, whilst those 
obtained in the warm area were to the S.W. of it. 
2. The warm and cold areas had actually been traced across the 
channel on either side of this imaginary line with the exception of 
about thirty miles towards the Faroe fisliing-banks. 
3. That the serial temperatures in the two areas were nearly 
similar to the depth of 200 fathoms, but at greater depths showed a 
marked difference. 
The whole direction of the “ Challenger’s ” inquiries was new, and 
the methods and appliances were hitherto untried ; nevertheless, a 
very fair general idea of many leading phenomena was acquired, and 
an intelligible basis was laid down for a novel section of the science 
of Physiography. 
Our observations, however, extended over the widest areas, and 
were restricted to sketching in the merest outline — no single locality 
was exhaustively examined, no single phenomenon was thoroughly 
studied. 
We had no opportunity of ascertaining by actual soundings the 
existence and continuity of any one of the ridges, the existence of 
which we inferred from our temperature observations. 
The Faroe Channel afforded an accessible and limited area, with 
abnormal temperature conditions which might in a comparatively 
short time be examined in detail, with the probable result of a satis- 
factory solution of not a few questions of frequent occurrence, of 
great complexity and of very great interest for science. 
These circumstances were set forth in a letter addressed to Sir 
Frederick Evans, K.C.B., hydrographer to the Admiralty, by the 
late Sir Wyville Thomson, dated June 16, 1880. (See Nature , 
2nd Sept. 1880.) 
Sir Frederick, whose great interest in deep-sea investigations is 
well known, had no difficulty, especially as soundings for the general 
purposes of navigation were required in this region, in recom- 
mending this matter to the favourable consideration of the Lords 
VOL. xi. 4 E 
