Hms Challenger

21 December, 1872

Today we set sail to go on a worldwide voyage to discover new species and to prove several theories wrong, or so I was informed. I had to leave behind my wife and newborn child for this mission, I call it. It will be long and a hazardous voyage, but I hope I can make it back to my child to watch her grow. The weather seems a bit brighter today than it was in the days preparing for the trip. No snow today, though the wind is biting at my ears. I head into the cabin that I share with six chemists. In this cabin, I am the only biologist, and I'm used to the coldness of the waters when I dive in.

I am very cautious and careful as the sun rises as we leave Portsmouth. It will be a long voyage, I assume, but even longer for those that had to leave their families. There is shouting on the deck as everybody starts hoisting the ropes to the central sail, now that the wind is on our side.

The day flows by smoothly, and chemists are beginning to work, sampling the temperatures, speed, correlation, and chemicals of the near water, as I look for the other biologists...

The twilight hour is only minutes away, and the biologists began to set up their equipment on the deck. The water level is smooth, and as such, it makes everything easier on us. My tool of use for the next six weeks is a Buchanan Water Sampler. On most occasions, I would tie it on a wire, and allow the sampler to reach a certain depth, before making it take in water and close it off. However, seeing as we are still among British water, I wish to dive, and have permission from the captain.

I dive into the water prepared as I can be for the frigid waters. I must swim very quickly before I catch hypothermia. I swim straight down for what I figure is seven minutes before I use the water sampler. Once the sampler was full, I tugged on the rope, and the deckhands pulled me up, along with my swimming. I was excited on my first sample, and ignoring the fact of a dry blanket, I went straight into the lab to analyze while the water was still fresh.

Just before I retired for the night, I found phytoplankton consistent with those of the other biologists' samples tonight. I placed the equipment, and headed to my bunk. I lay in my bunk, thinking about my family, I realized that the voyage would be long and complicated.

July 7th, 1874

It is a winter month, but being close to a tropic, we suspect, it is unbearably hot and humid. A storm brews on the horizon, but today I have been scheduled for nothing, my first day off in three months. I have become good friends with some deckhands and scientists in the two years at sea. I've been able to send letters home, even though I am unable to receive anything back. Having stopped at an Australian port, we now have fresh supplies, and we go into warmer waters. I stay out on deck to view the sky. It is a wonderful day, and the entire ship

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