OCEAN LIGHT. 
659 
picked up on either side of the island, which are identical 
with those belonging to the tropical islands, lying to the 
N. E. and N. W. of New Zealand, showing there are other 
causes than latitude aiding to give it that climatic superiority, 
by which it is so greatly distinguished. 
The late deep sea soundings are opening up another chapter 
in the history of the ocean's depths. Dr. Carpenter, who has 
dredged to the depth 2400 fathoms, or more than two-and- 
a-half miles, asserts that the temperature diminishes with the 
depth, so that arctic cold reigns where the sea attains its 
greatest profundity, and no life can exist, but only perhaps a 
stratum of ice at its lowest bottom. This, however, remains 
to be proved, future researches may be found to produce a 
different result. The deep sea soundings, taken from almost 
every part, were submitted to Professor Huxley's inspection 
by the Admiralty, and after careful examination he came to the 
conclusion that there was a gigantic band of life encircling the 
globe at the bottom of the ocean, and that there is a creta- 
ceous formation going on there, the same as that which 
existed millions of years ago. 
In corroboration of this statement, Sir James Ross, in his 
South Antarctic Expedition, at a depth of 400 fathoms, in 
the vicinity of Mount Erebus, dredged up delicate fragile 
shells, and what was still more extraordinary, corals, which 
are supposed to be confined to tropical seas, proving that 
even in the arctic zone the ocean bottom has its inhabitants, 
and those of a character requiring heat ; whilst the fragile 
nature of some also tend to show there is a counteracting 
power which deprives the ocean depths of that great weight 
and pressure which are ascribed to them. 
It is considered an established fact that on land the tem- 
perature increases in the ratio of one degree for every sixty 
feet of depth, so that if an artesian well were to be sunk 
2400 fathoms deep, boiling water would be obtained ; this 
might be thought to hold good with the ocean, were it 
not for such disturbing causes as coJd currents rushing in, 
and moderating the natural heat of those depths, still, it is 
reasonable to suppose that the heat which escapes from the 
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