Page:The Depths of the Sea - Wyville - 1873.djvu/50

18 they were accepted by naturalists generally without question.

The history of discovery bearing upon the extent and distribution of the deep-sea fauna will be discussed in a future chapter. It will suffice at present to mention in order the few data which gradually prepared the minds of naturalists to distrust the hypothesis of a zero of animal life at a limited depth, and led to the recent special investigations. In the year 1819 Sir John Ross published the official account of his voyage of discovery during the year 1818 in Baffin's Bay. At page 178 he says, "In the meantime I was employed on board in sounding and in trying the current, and the temperature of the water. It being perfectly calm and smooth, I had an excellent opportunity of detecting these important objects. Soundings were obtained correctly in 1,000 fathoms, consisting of soft mud, in which there were worms, and, entangled on the sounding line, at the depth of 800 fathoms, was found a beautiful Caput Medusæ (Fig. 1). These were carefully preserved, and will be found described in the appendix." This was in lat. 73° 37' N., long. 77° 25' W., on the 1st of September, 1818, and it is, so far as I am aware, the first recorded instance of living animals having been brought up from any depth approaching 1,000 fathoms. General Sir Edward Sabine, who was a member of Sir John Ross's expedition, has kindly furnished Dr.