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of 1872, '73 and '74, brief dredging cruises were made in the Gulf of Maine and about George's Banks, in the Coast Survey steamer Bache, which had been kindly detailed for that purpose, and much new material and information was obtained. The deepest dredging was in 430 fathoms, off George's Bank. Again, in 1877, the steamer Speedwell made a line of dredgings across the Gulf of Maine to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and in the vicinity of the latter place did considerable exploring work to a depth of 190 fathoms, securing a large quantity of valuable specimens.

Deep-sea dredging was first systematically undertaken in the summer of 1880, being rendered possible to a limited extent by the improved appliances of the new steamer Fish Hawk, then in command