The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1868-12-25
No. 81.
THE BOTTOM or raz OCEAN.
BY PROFESSOR HUXLEY.

In 1858, Lieutenant Brooke obtained
mad from the bottom Of the North At
lantic, between Newfoundland and the
Azores, at dcoh of more than ten
thousand feet, or two miles, by the help
of his sounding apparatus. Tho speci-
mems were sent for examination to
Gutenberg, of Berlin, and to BaiIy of
West Point and those able microscopists
found that this deep sea mud was al
most entirely composed of the skeletons
of living organism-the greater proper
tons Of these being Just like the Gtoji-
gc,Yinac already known to occur in tho
chalk.
Tins far the work had been carried
on simply in the interests Of science;
but Lieutenant Crookc's method Of
sounding acquired high commercial
value when tho enterprise of laying tho
Geographic cable between this country
and the Uuited States was undertaken.
Fort became matter Of immense inns
portauco to know, not only the depth of
the sea over the whole line along which
the cable was to be laid, but the exact
nature of the bottom, so as to guard
against chances Of cutting or fraying tho
strands of that costly rope.
The Admiralty consequently ordered
Captain Dayman, an old friend and
shipmate of mine, to ascertain tho depth
Of the whole line of tho cable, and to
bring back specimens of tho bottom. In
former days such u command as this
might have sounded very mach like one
Of the impossible things which the young
prince in tho Fairy Tales is ordered to
do before he can obtain the hand Of tho
princess. However, in the month of
June and July, 1857, my friend per-
formed lhc task assigned to him with
great precision, without, so far as |
know, having met with any reward of
that kind. The specimens Of Atlantic
mud which he produced were sent to mo
to be examined and reported upon.
The result of all these operations is
that we know the contours and naturc of
the surface-soil covered by the North
Atlantic for distance OF 1900 miles
from cast to west, as well as we know
that Of any part Of the dry land.
It is prodgious plain, one of tho
widest and most even plains in the world.
IF the sea were drained off you might
drive wagon alithe way from Valenta,
on the west coast of Ireland to Trinity
Bay, in Newfoundland And, except
one sharp incline, about two hundred
miles from Valcntia, am not quito sure
that it would be even necessary to put
the skid on, so gentle are the asccnts
and dcsccnts upon that route. From
Valenta the road would lie down hill for
about two hundred miles to tho point at
which the bottom is now covered by
200 iathoms of sea-water. Then
would come the central pain, moro than
900 miles wide, the inequalities of the
surface Of which would be hardly per-
ceptiblc, though tho depth of Tho water
uponit varies from 10, 900 to 5000 feet;
and there are places in it in which Mont
Blanc might be sunk without showing
its peak above water. beyond sthe az
cent on the American side commences,
and gradually leads for about three hun
! dTco lllbcS, 10 inc ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS sloTe.
Almost the whole Of the bottom ofthis
central plain-which extends for many
hundred miles in q north and south di-
rection is covered by fine mud, which
when brought to the surface, dries into a
graysh white friable substance. You
can write with this on blackboard, if
you are so inclined and to the eye it is
quite like very soft, grayish chalk
Examined chemically. it proved to be
composed almost wholly Of carbonate of
lime; and if you make section Of it
in the same way as that of a piece Of
chalk was made, and view it with the
microscope, it presents innumerablc
Gl95igeriaae imbeddcd in the granular
matrix.
Thus this deep sea mud is substantial
ly chalk, | say substantially, because
there arc good many minor differences;
but as these have no bearing upon the
question immediately before us
which is the nature of the Gl0bigerinae-
of the chalk-it is unnecessary to speak
Of them.