second year, to take command of the Arctic Expedition.
This wms a heavy blow to the ‘ Challenger.’
Captain Nares, from his experience as a surveying
officer, was eminently fitted to direct the executive in
such an undertaking, and the deep interest which he
took in every branch of our investigations, and the
intelligent knowledge Avhich he possessed of their
scope and objects, Avere the best possible guarantee for
the various operations being thoroughly and conscientiously
carried out. We were indeed most fortunate in
the choice of a, successor to Captain Nares, for Captain
Erank Thomson, although identified Avith another
branch of the service, and lying under the further
disadvantage of wanting the experience in the ncAV
field of research AAdiich Ave had laboriously gained
during the tAVO previous years, shoAved himself in
every Avay anxious to carry out the system initiated
by Captain Nares, and to adopt any reasonable
suggestion for the more complete performance of
our task.
I think nearly all of us, naval and civilian, wdldly
volunteered to follow our old Captain—to the Pole
or anywhere else. The services of one officer only.
Lieutenant Pelham Aldrich, Avere accepted; and
another most unwelcome blank Avas made in our
circle. Lieutenant Bromley succeeded Aldrich as
Eirst Lieutenant, and Ave were again remaiffiably
fortunate in Lieutenant Alfred Carpenter joining us
fi’om the ‘ Iron Duke ’ to fill the vacancy. t-
During the third year of the cruise the Civilian
Staff lost one of its most valuable members by death.
Dr. Budolf von Willemoes-Suhm, to Avhom the study
of the annulosa had been more especially relegated,
had an attack of erysipelas in the face on the passage
from Hawaii to Tahiti; his health had previously
suffered somewhat, probably from his never having
got thoroughly used to a sea-life; the disease rapidly
took a virulent form, and he sank into a state of
coma and died on the 13th of September, 1875.
This sad event naturally threw a gloom over our
little party. Erom the commencement of the voyage
Dr. V. Willemoes-Suhm had devoted himself with
unremitting industry and zeal to the objects of the
expedition. He had already published in the Transactions
of the Linnaean Society and elseAvhere, a
number of valuable papers in connection Avith our
Avork. He leaves a fine series of drawings, with full
descriptions, chiefly illustrating the development of
surface Crustacea; for example, species of the genera
Euphausia, Sergestes, and Ampliion are traced through
all their stages; he leaves also an ample official
journal. The loss of his valuable aid in wmrking up
the final results of the expedition must, I fear,
seriously affect their completeness. I regarded
Budolf V. AVillemoes-Subm as a young man of the
highest promise, certain, had he lived, to have
achieved a distinguished place in his profession,
and I look upon his untimely death as a serious
loss, not only to this expedition, in which he took so
important a part, but also to the younger generation
of scientific men, among Avhom he was steadily
preparing himself to become a leader.