Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-76. Vol. I

1885

Science Q115 .C4 1872

London: Longmans & Co.

When the H. M. S Challenger left Portsmouth in December 1872, there was one major difference from those ships commanded by Magellan, Cook, and d’Urville. She had a steam engine, auxiliary to sail. And while charting lands continued to be undertaken, a major objective of this scientific expedition was to probe the depths of the Pacific, discovering how deep it actually was. To this end, 180 miles of Italian hemp was carried on board, and thousands of jars to hold both sediment and specimens. This engraved map of Matuku in the Fiji group offers detailed topography, and fathom readings (310 and 315), a result of the extensive dredging.