Wonders of the Deep: The Story of the Williamson Submarine Expedition, by Victor E. Allemandy, is a book published in 1915 and considered by scholars, including historians and scientists, to be of significant historical importance. It is now in the public domain and is presented in digital form on this website, for your enjoyment.
The original text has been reformatted for digital viewing. This includes page breaks and text alignment (the original having been justified left and right). Present day readers may find some of the grammar to be dated. Several small alterations have been made, including some corrections to reflect modern-day spellings, but 99.9% of the text is as it was originally published.
All illustrations are scans of the originals. It should be noted that the original illustrations were not always to the standards of modern photography, but nevertheless form an important part of the historical context of this book. In the 1915 edition of Wonders of the Deep, the illustrations were grouped together on periodic stand-alone pages. In reformatting the book for digital presentation, most of the illustrations have now been included within the text of relevant pages.
Navigation
Most of the sections of this book are spread over 2, 3, or 4 web pages. Each individual page includes a link to the previous page, a link to the next page and a link back to this page. If you want to read the book in its entirety, just click the "next page" link at the foot of each page. As an alternative, and to help you navigate from here, these are the links to the main pages:
Jarrold's Celebrated Series of Nature Books
Chapter I: The Birth of an idea
Chapter V: Taking Submarine Motion Pictures
Chapter VI: Denizens of the Deep
Chapter VII: Some Oddities of Fish Life
Chapter IX: The Coral Architect
Chapter XI: A Thrilling Fight with a Blue Shark
List of Illustrations:
NOTE:
As the illustrations have been re-formatted into the text, each is linked here to the relevant page upon which it appears in this digital edition..
Camera operator at work in the operating chamber
Capturing a shark by baited hook
Different forms of life on the bed of the ocean
Diving chamber, with arm holes, invented by Captain Williamson
En route to the Bahama Islands
Exploring a wreck on the bed of the ocean
Fish taking bait from a line over the ocean bed
Flora and fauna of the West Indian seas
Flora on the bed of the West Indian seas
Foundation of the wall of the dock at Nassau
Glimpse of life at the bottom of the ocean
Governor of the Bahama Islands descending the Williamson submarine tube
Lowering the operating chamber into the sea through the well of the barge
Method by which the Williamson submarine pictures were taken
Midnight photography: Native diver swimming under the powerful mercury vapour lights
Mr Ernest Williamson awaiting an opportunity to make a dive
Mr Ernest Williamson ready to attack a shark
Mr Ernest Williamson ready to make a dive
Mr Williamson about to descend into the water
Mr Williamson exploring a portion of a wreck
Mr Williamson in diving dress exploring old wreck under the sea
Native boy picking coins from the ocean bed
Native diver carrying a knife in his mouth
Native diver tying an anchor rope at the bottom of the ocean
Native tying an anchor on the bed of the ocean
Native tying an anchor to the ocean bed
Operating Chamber (close view)
Operating chamber ready for lowering into the water
Placing in position the huge circular glass plate which formed the window of the operating chamber
Porpoise captured by the expedition
Sea ferns bending in the direction of the ocean currents
Sponge-fishing, native looking through a bucket with a glass bottom
Williamson brothers, who originated the idea of submarine motion pictures