( 109 ) 
A. ATLANTIC OCEAN (outward voyage). 
The fitting out of the Challenger for the special work in which she was to be 
engaged commenced in June 1872, and the ship was commissioned on 15th November. 
When the provisions and stores had been received on board, the ship was carefully 
swung to ascertain the errors of the magnetic instruments. She sailed from Sheerness 
on 7th December, arriving at Portsmouth on the 11th, after a stormy passage, one of 
the quarter boats being lost in a gale. 
The Challenger left Portsmouth on the 21st December 1872, and in her passage 
across the Bay of Biscay experienced heavy weather. On the 29th December the tow- 
nets were dragged in the surface water, and specimens of Aeanthometra, Collosphsera, 
Medusae, Crustacea, Carinaria, and Salpa were captured. On the 30th December the 
first attempts were made at sounding and dredging, the object being chiefly to exercise 
the seamen in the use of the apparatus. 
Station I . 1 (Sounding 1), Cape Finisterre to Lisbon (see Chart 2). 
December 30, 1872 ; lat. 41° 58' N., long. 9° 42 y W. 
Temperature of air at noon, 54°‘3 ; mean for the day, 5 3° '6. 
Temperature of water at surface, 55 o, 0. 
Depth, 1125 fathoms ; deposit, Blue Mud. 
At 8.10 a.m. took first sounding, and made first attempt at dredging. In hauling 
in, the sounding line carried away, and a thermometer was lost. At 1 p.m. the dredge 
came up capsized, and at 2.20 p.m. was sent down again in about 1000 fathoms. At 
3.30 p.m. commenced heaving in dredge, which came up at 5.30 p.m. with a few 
specimens. 
Position of ship at noon, about 40 miles W. of Yigo Bay : Burlings Islands distant 
153 miles. Made good 137 miles. Amount of current for the day 4 miles, direction W. 
The following is a list of the animals recorded in the Zoological Reports from the 
dredge at this Station: — 
Asteroidea (Sladen, Zool. pt. 51). 
Hymenaster membranaceus, Wyville Thomson, n.sp. One specimen (of a rich 
crimson colour when brought up) ; obtained at no other 
locality. 
1 The Roman numerals I. to VIII. were used in the note-books for the preliminary Stations where the working of 
the'apparatus was tested. The regular observing Stations of the Expedition commenced on leaving Tenerife (see page 
136 ). 
(summary op results chall. exp. — 1893 .) 15 
Station I. 
Animals from 
Dredge. 
