PREPARATION. 9 



June had almost passed before the schooner was 

 brought to the wharf in Boston to receive her cargo. 

 Much of this cargo was made up of vohmtary gift 

 offerings, "in the cause of science," and came from 

 various places, and, as these " offerings " arrived irreg- 

 ularly, there was naturally much confusion in the 

 storage. It will not therefore appear surprising that 

 our departure was several days delayed. One month 

 was indeed a short time, even under the most favor- 

 able circumstances, to fit a vessel, purchase and store a 

 complicated cargo, construct and get together sledges, 

 boats, and other equipments for travelling, obtain in- 

 struments and all the requisite materials for scientific 

 exploration, — in short, to accumulate the various 

 odds and ends necessary for so unusual and protracted 

 a voyage. It was a busy month, and into no equal 

 period of my life did I ever crowd so much labor and 

 anxiety. 



The selection of my ship's company gave me not 

 a little concern. Of material from which to choose 

 there was quite an ample supply. In numbers there 

 were indeed enough to have fitted out a respectable 

 squadron ; but it was not easy to find those whose 

 constitutions and habits of life fitted them for the 

 service. The greater number of the volunteers had 

 never been to sea, and most of them were eager 

 "to serve in any capacity," — a declaration which, too 

 often on this, as on other occasions, I have found to 

 signify the absence of any capacity at all. 



I esteemed myself fortunate in securing the ser- 

 vices of my former companion and friend in the Grin- 

 nell Expedition, Mr. August Sonntag, who early volun- 

 teered to join me from Mexico, in which country he 

 was engaged in conducting some important scientific 



