q. . 
AT ANCHOR, 
Chapter I—From Portsmouth to Teneriffe. 
-♦- 
HORTLY before noon on the 21st December, 1872, an English frigate slowly 
steamed out of Portsmouth Harbour, followed by the good wishes of the few 
who had assembled to witness her departure, and of the many who felt 
interested in the success of the mission with which she was intrusted. Deprived 
of her armament, and undermasted, there was little in her appearance to 
recall the gallant war-ship which in former days had carried the standard of the mother- 
country to distant settlements; but she was well adapted for her novel work. Her fighting 
deck, cleared of all but four guns, afforded ample space for zoological and chemical laboratories; 
while her wide ports, sea and sky permitting, admitted sufficient light for microscopical and 
anatomical operations, writing, and drawing. All available space, allowance being made 
for the large stores of coal and provisions required on a long sea-voyage, was reserved for 
the stowage of the dredging and sounding gear, and of the natural history treasures to be 
brought up from the bottom of the sea. It was expected that the observations to be carried 
on during her contemplated cruise round the world would throw new light upon the character 
and distribution of animal life, and the conditions of temperature and of depth throughout the 
vast ocean which covers nearly three-fourths of the earth’s surface. From this point of view, 
the voyage of H.M.S. “Challenger” might be deemed no unworthy successor of the 
exploring expeditions commanded by Ross, d’Urville, Franklin, and other illustrious 
navigators of the present century. 
No sooner had the shores of England faded in the twilight of the shortest day than 
our good ship encountered heavy seas and head-winds, which continued for several days. In 
consequence, my first impressions of life at sea 4 are reduced to a dim recollection of daily 
and nightly tossing by the furious waves, amidst an unearthly chorus of sounds strongly 
