WORK OF THE ‘ INVESTIGATOR.’ 
93 
staff. With their advice and assistance, he compiled a list 
of such sounding and dredging-gear as would be required. 
He then went to the Admiralty and, as has invariably been 
the case, found that they were willing to assist in every 
possible way. They presented much of the ‘ Challenger ’ 
apparatus, as examples, to the Marine Survey of India, and 
it is of interest to know that when the Surgeon-Naturalist 
began his researches he was not only continuing the ‘ Chal¬ 
lenger’ work, but was actually using ^Challenger’ appa¬ 
ratus; indeed, for some years afterwards in the annual 
administration reports the trawl of the ‘ Blake ’ pattern 
is frequently referred to as the ‘ Challenger ’ trawl. At this 
time a survey ship was in process of construction in the 
Royal Indian Marine Dockyard at Bombay; this was the 
R I.M.S.S, ‘ Investigator.’ The initial ceremony, consisting 
of the driving of a silver nail into the stem, had been per¬ 
formed by Miss Carew on the 14th of December, 1878, and 
the ship was launched from the slips in 1881. Commander 
Dawson, at that time officer in charge of the Marine Survey, 
in his annual report, gives the following account of the 
ship: — 
The ‘Investigator’ is a wooden paddle-steamer of 
“ 580 tons, built at Bombay and launched on the 3rd of 
“March, 1881. The ‘Investigator’ underwent a prelimi- 
“ nary steam trial, November 4th, and a six hours’ full-power 
“steam trial, November 7th. The average speed attained 
“during the last trial w'as 10*5 knots an hour. December 
“3rd the ‘Investigator,’ being ready for sea, proceeded 
“outside of Bombay Harbour to adjust compasses and on 
“ the 28th sailed.” 
During the next three years no steps were taken to com¬ 
mence the investigation of the deep-sea fauna, but in 1884 
Commander A. Carpenter, R.N,, was appointed to the post of 
officer in charge. Owing to his previous experience on board 
the ‘ Challenger ’, Commander Carpenter had been impressed 
with the value and importance of biological research, and, 
whether it was a result of his representations or not, the 
fact remains that simultaneously Surgeon G. M. I. Giles, 
I.M.S., was appointed Surgeon-Naturalist and, to quote from 
