| AdminHistory | Sir John Murray (1841-1914), the oceanographer, left shares in his will to finance "scientific research or investigations, or explorations". By 1930 the sum available had reached £20,000, and members of his family approached the Keeper of Zoology, W T Calman, among others, for advice as to how best to spend it. It was decided to sponsor an oceanographic expedition in the Indian Ocean.
A committee was formed with Sir John's son, J C Murray, as President and Treasurer and Professor J Stanley Gardiner as Secretary. R B Seymour Sewell (1880-1964) was appointed Leader, and the Egyptian Government lent the ship Mabahiss for the voyage. Mabahiss, with a scientific party of seven, left Alexandria in September 1933 and sailed through the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, across the northwestern Indian Ocean and through the Gulf of Oman. She returned to Alexandria in May 1934, having worked 209 scientific stations and collected a vast store of data and specimens.
The British Museum (Natural History) became the home for the principal collections, and took responsibility for editing and publishing the scientific reports.
References
British Museum (Natural History), 1935-1967.
The John Murray Expedition Scientific Reports, 11 Volumes.
Rice, A L (Ed), 1986. Deep-sea challenge, the John Murray / Mabahiss Expedition to the Indian Ocean, 1933-34. Unesco. |