Abstract
ON Friday last, Dec. 6, several members of the council and “the Circumnavigating Committee” of the Royal Society, by invitation of the Lords of the Admiralty, inspected at Sheerness H.M. ship Challenger, which sailed on Saturday on her three or four years' scientific circumnavigating expedition. The Government have all along consulted the Royal Society as to the fitting out of this expedition, and have liberally carried out every suggestion made by the Circumnavigation Committee. The visitors to Sheerness on Friday included many distinguished men of science, among them being Sir William Thomson, Sir Charles Wheatstone, Prof. Huxley, Dr. Carpenter, Sir Henry Holland, Prof. Stokes, Prof. All-man, Dr. Hooker, Mr. Siemens, and others. Under the guidance of Captain Nares, the commander of the Challenger, Prof. Wyville Thomson, the scientific leader of the expedition, and other members of the staff, the visitors inspected with keen interest all the fittings and appliances with which the handsome ship has been furnished for carrying out the purposes of the expedition. Everything appeared complete, and the perfection and abundance of the preparations excited the universal admiration of the visitors. Government, in this instance, have acted with the most praiseworthy liberality. The ship itself has a greater tonnage than the three ships together which formed the expedition of Cook in 1772. After the visitors had completed their inspection, they were entertained to an ample luncheon in the wardroom, under the presidency of Captain Nares. A few toasts were drunk and a few very brief speeches made, in which some well-deserved compliments were paid to those most intimately connected with the expedition. Dr. Carpenter felt sure that under Prof. Thomson's superintendence “no fact would be let go, and that every fact would find its place and its value when results came to be worked out;” while Prof. Thomson said that if the vessel were not thoroughly equipped, it was the fault of the scientific staff; they had met with every encouragement from Government to ask for what is necessary.
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The “Challenger” . Nature 7, 109–110 (1872). https://doi.org/10.1038/007109b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/007109b0