I had published in France a work in quarto, in two volumes, entitled Mysteries of the Great Submarine Grounds.

This book, highly approved of in the learned world, gained for me a special reputation in this rather obscure branch of Natural History.

My advice was asked.

As long as I could deny the reality of the fact, I confined myself to a decided negative.

But soon, finding myself driven into a corner, I was obliged to explain myself point by point.