GENERAL INTRODUCTION
II
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sea. dredging is a lengthybusihess, the dredge taking many
hours to be lowered and hauled through the enormous
depths.
They were not disappointed
living animals
,
were present atthe greatest depths ; and an added excite‘
ment arose,_ every haul brought up strange and beautiful
organisms that man had never yet set eyes
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'
The time was now déemed ready for a great expedition
to explore all the ocean‘s of the world, to study animal and
.
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Frs. 3.—H.M.S. Challenger.
plant life and the chemical and physical conditions under
:
which they existed.
Accordingly in 1872 Her—‘ Majesty’s
_'
'
Government
commissioned
the
famous
research
H.‘M.S.
Challenger, under. command '
of
Captain Nares,
carrying on board some of the most noted men of science
_
of the day, headed by Sir Wyvle Thomson.
This ship“
(Fig. 3) sailed the oceans for three‘ years, travelling in
,
that time 69,000 miles. . SoundîngS were made
..
over, temperatu‘res noted, and samples of water taken
_
from à.11 depths; samples of the sea oor were
;‘
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