New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-04-07
The HISTORY or DREP-SEA DREDGING.
n "A, Edffor ofrAs TrtbWme.

TO the Editor or rae Tr'o"hc'
SIR: In the excellent review OF DIR. wy
willie Thomsous Depths of the Sea" which appeared IN
TE TRIBUNE OF April the reviewer states that tine ser
ics rendered 10 science in our OWE country 10y the Coast
survey and especially by Count de Poutaes, one OF lt
officers are referred TO by the author In terms OF hgh
aud deserved COMMUNICATION. In the year 1905 NJ TIC
Pourtaes commenced series OF deepsea dredglnGs
across the Gulf Stream. of the coast Of Florida whch
were continued In the following year, and which were
productive Of most valuable results And TO most oil
the readers OF the book this will probably seem correct
and fair statement. But in reality the author of the
hook has done gross injustice 10 the officers OF the Coast
survey aad to American science, though perhaps uni-
tentionslB.
The explorations by the Coast Survey and the deep
sea dredgings by Pourtales not commenced
m 1865 as stated 10y Dr. Thomson but in 1867 and the
very interesting and important results OF that hrSt
cruise were published by Pourales in December l%'
together with descriptions of many of the new ana re-
markabe ANIMALS then discovered. IN the "Bnileuh VI
the Museum of Comparative Zoology NO O. lheSe
discoveries and the above publication were extensively
noticed and discussed that time by She scienno PERI
Odicas both this country and in Europe ana were
universally regarded OF the highest interest Anu
they have repeatedly been referred to since III nearly III
publications on the subject ,.
Nevertheless Dr. WyyIlle Thomson utterly ignores tuiS
rst expedition which dates the first Enssh eNpe
,tiop whole wear He makes no reference whatever TO
4
ing or in the correspondence between himself ana Others
t.ee M 50 aud beyond which preceded the organza
,op of the English eXpedon of 1868 Yet IL was gen
orally believed al the time that the success oil the
American explorations had some influence upon the
6,,r amt OF that expedition. Those most concerned in
ornizng il certainly could not have been ignorant OF
rho results pubsbed by Pourtales they were noticed
in Eurish periodicals. and in English public addresses
before the Lightning" expedition was organized
The first Of the published correspondence concerning
the organization Of the English expeditions is letter
from Dr. Thomson Dr. Carpenter dated May So 1865.
recnr the desrabihtY such explorations, suggest
ing the possible results and abiding the important
discoveries made by c. o. Of the LOhoden Islands
But no mention IS made of the work of the United States
Coast Survey which had been organized more than a
year pre- ousy and had already yielded suen valuable
fruits, ,.. ~,
auttr very cooy adds 10 will be seen by the letters
from my colleague and myself what our ideas were al
That time and what anCipauOns as TO the lesu
oi our lahOrS We both more than doubted the ante
hlu'ic view which then very generally received
and we expected 10 be able 10 trace relationship ne
tween the living inhabitants Of the deep sea anu he
Toss Of some the later geological formations, when
We looked upon their direct and not very remote
IL scarcely necessary TO add that all these results
lad already obtained long previous 10 the dates OF
those letters. by the Investigations OF POurtaes ana
otuers and the autebOtic theory had ALREADY been
fny exploded in this country at least IL Is evident
therefore that the honor of nrs undertaking ana sue
c,ssfully carrying on systematic explorations OF tue
Geep sea by means of the dredge does not belong %
English Government and the English nRturalSts are
dcserying OF great praise for persiseny ana success
fully extending tuese INVESTIGATIONS so well begun by
Others But the pioneers in and difficult inyeStga
lions should neither be forgotten nor iguOred
A. T. YERRII1-
Yale college, Ne0-Haren. April o 1873.