1871-72.] THE "HASSLER? 183 



The crew and passengers numbered about fifty per- 

 sons, the scientific party being composed of Professor 

 Agassiz and his wife; Dr. Thomas Hill, ex-president 

 of Harvard University ; Frank de Pourtales ; Dr. Franz 

 Steindachner, Agassiz's favourite assistant in ichthy- 

 ology, and a draughtsman ; and Commander P. C. 

 Johnson, United States Navy, who was also accom- 

 panied by his wife, a native of Chili. Everything that 

 could contribute to the comfort of Agassiz and his 

 friends was provided. 



After long delays, from the summer until the begin- 

 ning of the winter, the Hassler at last sailed from 

 Boston, the 4th of December, 1871, in a snowstorm, 

 and with a heavy sea. During the first four days, the 

 roughness of the voyage much fatigued Agassiz, who 

 thought that he had undertaken a task beyond his phy- 

 sical strength. However, after passing Cape Hatteras 

 and reaching the West Indies, he quickly rallied from 

 the discouragement and depression which had seized 

 him at the departure ; and a very successful dredging, 

 made in a depth of eighty fathoms near the coast of 

 the Barbadoes, which brought up several stemmed cri- 

 noids, then a great rarity, delighted him so much that 

 he soon forgot all the unpleasantness of the voyage. 



Unhappily, the station near the island of Barbadoes 

 was the only one of the whole expedition which was 

 successful so far as number of sea-animals obtained was 

 concerned It soon became evident that the engine of 

 the Hassler was not only defective, but absolutely 

 worthless ; and the whole plan of the voyage, sketched 

 with such a masterly hand, had to be modified and cur- 



