Cyclops.PublishedbyorderoftheLordsCommissionersoftheAdmiralty，1858.\"TheyhavesinceformedthesubjectofanelaborateMemoirbyMessrs.ParkerandJones，publishedinthePhilosophicalTransactionsfor1865.
Theresultofalltheseoperationsis，thatweknowthecontoursandthenatureofthesurface—soilcoveredbytheNorthAtlantic，foradistanceofseventeenhundredmilesfromeasttowest，aswellasweknowthatofanypartofthedryland.
Itisaprodigiousplain——oneofthewidestandmostevenplainsintheworld.Iftheseaweredrainedoff，youmightdriveawagonallthewayfromValentia，onthewestcoastofIreland，toTrinityBay，inNewfoundland.And，exceptupononesharpinclineabouttwohundredmilesfromValentia，Iamnotquitesurethatitwouldevenbenecessarytoputtheskidon，sogentlearetheascentsanddescentsuponthatlongroute.FromValentiatheroadwouldliedown—hillforabout200milestothepointatwhichthebottomisnowcoveredby1700fathomsofsea—water.Thenwouldcomethecentralplain，morethanathousandmileswide，theinequalitiesofthesurfaceofwhichwouldbehardlyperceptible，thoughthedepthofwateruponitnowvariesfrom10，000to15，000feet;andthereareplacesinwhichMontBlancmightbesunkwithoutshowingitspeakabovewater.Beyondthis，theascentontheAmericansidecommences，andgraduallyleads，forabout300miles，totheNewfoundlandshore.
Almostthewholeofthebottomofthiscentralplain（whichextendsformanyhundredmilesinanorthandsouthdirection）iscoveredbyafinemud，which，whenbroughttothesurface，driesintoagreyish—whitefriablesubstance.Youcanwritewiththisonablackboard，ifyouaresoinclined;and，totheeye，itisquitelikeverysoft，greyishchalk.Examinedchemically，itprovestobecomposedalmostwhollyofcarbonateoflime;andifyoumakeasectionofit，inthesamewayasthatofthepieceofchalkwasmade，andviewitwiththemicroscope，itpresentsinnumerableGlobigerinaeembeddedinagranularmatrix.
Thusthisdeep—seamudissubstantiallychalk.Isaysubstantially，becausethereareagoodmanyminordifferences;butasthesehavenobearingonthequestionimmediatelybeforeus，——