MELVILLE AT HOME. 471 



were on board Mrs. John A. Demorest and Maggie Melville, sis- 

 ters of the chief engineer ; Mr. Alexander Melville, his brother; 

 Miss Lydia V. Demorest, his niece; Miss Newman, the affianced 

 of Nindermann, and her mother and brother; Captain J. A. W. 

 Watton, the father of Mrs. DeLong; Mr. Gustavus W. Lindquist, 

 a mate of Nindermann on the Polaris expedition; Mr. John C. 

 Morrison, who shipped the crew for the Jeannette; Surveyor 

 Graham, Chief Engineer Maggee, United States Navy; Com- 

 mander Kane, United States Navy; Paymasters Caswell and 

 Skelding, United States Navy; Lieutenants Jacques and Drake, 

 United States Navy; Past Assistant Surgeon Russell, of the 

 Naval Hospital, Brooklyn; Mr. R. C, Stone, and others. 



The Catalpa met the yacht Ocean Gem, which had turned 

 back again, and then the two went down the Lower Bay in com- 

 pany. All were in a state of great expectation. When Dr. 

 Smith was asked if it was not an unusual thing for him to go 

 down so far to meet a steamship, he replied that this was an un- 

 usual occasion. 



At a little after one o'clock the two parties approached the 

 Parthia. A scene of the wildest enthusiasm, and which the par- 

 ticipants will never forget, ensued. First the Ocean Gem ran up 

 to the steamship and saluted her, the steamship blowing two 

 whistles in response. Then the turn of the Catalpa came, and as she 

 ran up toward the Parthia on the starboard side, they also ex- 

 changed salutes. Long before th^ir voices could be made to 

 reach across the distance which divided them, the passengers on 

 both vessels were frantically waving their hats and handkerchiefs 

 or whatever else was conveniently at hand to wave; and by the 

 especially strong demonstration proceeding from the Parthia's 

 after deck, it was evident to those on the tug that the party they 

 had come to welcome was there. And so it proved, as the two 

 came nearer, and shouts and cheers took the place of hats and 

 handerchiefs. 



' We've got him! ' shouted a hundred voices from the Par- 

 thia. 'We've got him! He is here!' and they pointed in the 

 direction where Melville was standing, and urged him to a more 

 conspicuous place on the ship's side. He did not require much 

 urging either, but scrambled upon the railing and shouted until 

 he was hoarse, or would have been if he were not such an old 



