Images Dated 29th June 2005

4-mc114.96, animal, animal behaviour, asleep, behaviour, carnivora, carnivore, carnivorous

4-mc114.96, animal, animal behaviour, asleep, behaviour, carnivora, carnivore, carnivorous, companion, companionship, company, couple, cute, dozing, dreaming, dreams, enhydra lutris, fatigue, floating, friend, friendship, in water, inseperable, lovable, loving, mammal, mammals, mustelidae, napping, north america, on back, pair, peace, peaceful, portrait, portraits, relationship, relax, relaxation, relaxed, relaxing, rest, restful, resting, sea otter, sea otters, sleep, sleeping, sleepy, sweet, tenderness, tired, tiredness, togetherness, two, Sea Otter, 90068766

© Oxford Scientific

Hernando Cortez, Spanish explorer

Hernando Cortez (1485-1547), the conqueror of the Aztec empire in Mexico. After fighting in the conquest of Cuba, Cortez was given command of an expedition to Mexico. He then marched inland into Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire ruled by Montezuma II. After an initially friendly welcome, Cortez was driven out of the city. He gathered more men and, in 1521, razed Tenochtitlan to the ground, building Mexico City on its ruins. For this and the riches he sent back to Spain, Cortez was appointed governor of New Spain, but, fearing his ambition, this title was taken away from him in 1528

© SHEILA TERRY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Trigers caisson, 19th century

Triger's caisson. 19th-century artwork of workers using the pneumatic caisson invented in 1839 by the French engineer Triger. This was the first use of pressurised air to dig underwater shafts, a technique that is still used today. The lowest section is pressurised to keep the water out. The middle section is an airlock, through which the soil was passed to the upper section which was at atmospheric pressure. Triger's caisson used sheet metal for the walls of the caisson, and was first used during mining in the Basse-Loire coalfield. Artwork published in Mines and Miners (L. Simonin, 1868)

© SHEILA TERRY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY