Answer:
They can travel through matter, but not in a vacuum.
Explanation:
The best statement that describes the transmission of mechanical waves is that they can travel through matter but not in a vacuum.
Mechanical waves require a material medium for their propagation. In the absence of such medium they are not transmitted. Examples are seismic waves, sound waves, water waves e.t.c
A type of wave than can be transmitted through a vacuum and through matter are the electromagnetic waves.