Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-12-14
A Remarkable ExpeditiOn-Sayans to
Circumna vigatc the Globe.

The expedition about to be dispatched
by the British Admiralty, to undertake
q scientific circumnavigation of the
globe, is described at great length by
Nature. The vessel set apart for this
2,3O6 tons, under the command OF q. S.
Mares, II. N, well known as the author
of valuable work on seamanship, who
has seen a great deal of active service,
formerly in Arctic exploration, and lat
terly in the Suez survey, which he now
leaves to head this expedition. On the
scientific staff are Prof. Wyville Thomp-
son, f. Il. s., as Director; j. Y. Buch-
anan, Of l. inburgh University, chemist;
n. N. Mose!ey, of Oxford, naturalist;
DR.. Won Willemocs Suhm, OF Munich,
naturalist; Jchn Murray, Of Edinburgh
University, naturalist. The three natur-
alists take charge respectively of the
invertebrata, the vertebrate, and botany.
Prof. Thompson assumes the charge of
the general geological work. A photo
grapher is also ASST gned to duty. The
whole expedition is under the imme-
date direction Of the photographic de-
partment of the Admiralty, and the
ship is fitted out with magnificent
collection of scientific apparatus.
The Challenger will sail from Ports
mouth to Gibraltar, the first hall of the
drcdge being made in the Bay of Biscay,
it the weather should chance to le
favorable. From Gibraltar she will pro-
ceed to Madeira, thence to st. Thomas,
the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Azores;
from thence to Bahia, touching the Fer
nando Norohna; then across to the
Cape of Good Hope, and, after stay in
that neighborhood, southwark to the
Crozetts and Marion Islands and Ker
guel MS Land. A run southwark will
then be made as far us possible to the
ice, and the course thence be made to
sydney. New Zealand, the Campbell
and Auckland groups, Torres Straits,
New Guinea, and New Ireland will then
be visited. A long cruise of perhaps a
year will then be made among the
Pacific Islands thence the expedition
passing between Horneo and Kelebes,
and visiting Luzon and its neighbor-
hood, will proceed to Japan, where a
stay OF two or three months is expected.
Thence northward to KANT, chatka,
whence q run will be made northward
lnIOuSu DoHliHS olidit7, tha tHVh
throu Oh the Aleutiau Islands, south
ward to Vancouver's Island, and SO
through the deep eastern region of the
Pacific by Easter Island, and possibly
by the Galapagos Archipelago to the
Horn, and thence home. The voyage
is expected to take about three and a
half years.
1t is difficult (says the Nature) to
over.estimate the immense benefit
which science must derive from an ex.
peditiop such as this. Apart from the
results OF intense interest which may
be expected from the deep-sea work,
the principal object of the expedition,
and which must 60 far to elucidate a
subject on which our knowledge is at
present of the most imperfect descrip'
ton, abundant opportunity will oiler
for the accurate investigation of the
animal and vegetable life of many
highly interesting and yet imperfectly
known or totally unexplored regions
The investigation of the floras OF such
islands as Fernando Norohna and the
Marion and Crozett groups cannot iai
to yield most instructive results; and II
is needless to speak of the intense
interest which centers in New Guinea.