EDITORIAL NOTES. 
viii 
S i tlv after the return to England, Mr. Buchanan analysed a number of 
t! ... s.unph-s of gas which had been boiled out from the waters on board ship. 
As Mr. Buchanan was subsequently unable to proceed with the chemical 
w..;k cl mccted with the Expedition, the remainder of the gas samples (along 
witi the results of those analysed), the water samples, and Mr. Buchanan’s 
< .fti. i d journals, were entrusted by the late Sir C. Wyville Thomson to Professor 
W. Dittmar, F.B.S., with a request that he would undertake certain analyses 
, t t P. -as samples and the waters. Professor Dittmar forwarded reports on 
his analvMs at various times to the late Editor during the years 1878-1881. 
In the vear 1HS*J. Professor Dittmar undertook, at my request, to complete 
tl -is and water analyses, and to prepare a Iieport on the whole of his 
investigations into the Composition of Ocean-Water, embracing the work done 
4 »u 1 i ! '1 1 >hip by Mr. Buchanan. The result is the valuable memoir which 
fnniis Part I. of the present volume. It will be found that Professor Dittmar 
has i : • t contented himself with giving mere analyses, but has discussed their 
: tieanee with respect to the Problems of Oceanography. 
Part II. of this volume, which is accompanied by a map and numerous 
d aii.s. lias I wen prepared by Mr. Buchanan, and gives the results of his 
drt. : d nations of the specific gravity of surface, intermediate, and bottom 
waters of the ocean. 
P rt III. of this volume contains all the observations on the temperature 
• t . -water taken by the officers of the Expedition, except those of the 
*■ ’ taken every two hours, which will be found in the Meteorological 
Of -4 nations published in Volume 11. Narrative. 
CffAUXIOM Ol met, QlEE!» SrilKET, 
Koi*M.Kf4ii, 8 /A April 1684. 
John Murray. 
