PROJECTED VOYAGE OF THE HASSLER. 691 



the results would justify, and then move on to 

 some other head-land. If this plan be adopted, 

 it would be desirable to have one additional 

 observer to make collections on shore, to con- 

 nect with the result of the dredgings. This 

 would be the more important as, with the ex- 

 ception of Brazil, hardly anything is known of 

 the shore faunaB upon the greater part of the 

 South American coast. For shore observa- 

 tions, I should like a man of the calibre of 

 Dr. Steindachner, who has spent a year on the 

 coast of Senegal, and would thus bring a 

 knowledge of the opposite side of the Atlantic 

 as a starting basis of comparison. . . . 



After consultation with his physicians, it 

 was decided that Agassiz might safely under- 

 take the voyage in the Hassler, that it might 

 indeed be of benefit to his health. His party 

 of naturalists, as finally made up, consisted 

 of Agassiz himself, Count de Pourtales, Dr. 

 Franz Steindachner, and Mr. Blake, a young 

 student from the Museum, who accompanied 

 Agassiz as assistant and draughtsman. Dr. 

 Thomas Hill, ex -president of Harvard Uni- 

 versity, was also on the expedition, and though 

 engaged in special investigations of his own, 

 he joined in all the work with genial interest. 



