NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 99 



of our equipment, ordered additional instruments, and accepted 

 the loan of some of their most satisfactory devices. 



While making the rounds of this institution, we were paid a 

 visit by Mr. Richter and Mr. Wiese, renowned makers of deli- 

 cate glass instruments. They had supplied us with our deep- 

 sea reversing-thermometers, and many other highly specialized 

 pieces of equipment. It was almost uncanny to meet these two 

 gentlemen in the flesh; for in our minds they had heretofore been 

 "Richter and Wiese," an impersonal, superhuman firm which 

 did unbelievable things with glass. We placed an order for ad- 

 ditional pressure-thermometers, and turned over to them the 

 difficult task of reducing the resistance of the third cell of the 

 salinity-bridge, which we had failed to repair in London. Cap- 

 tain Ault also commissioned them to make duplicate surface-film 

 thermometers for the evaporation-apparatus on board, lest the 

 one we had should be broken, and leave us handicapped. 



The evening was devoted to the festivities arranged in our honor 

 by our German colleagues. The party collected at the Geographi- 

 cal Society, and proceeded to the Auditorium, which was already 

 filled with a distinguished audience. Many familiar faces greeted 

 us; and there were physicists, magneticians, explorers, whom we 

 had known only through print. The meeting was called to 

 order by Dr. Krebs, the President of the Geographical Society. 

 Dr. Sverdrup, who needed no introduction to this audience, and 

 who was heartily applauded when he rose to speak, opened the 

 proceedings by delivering a fifteen minute address in German. 

 He sketched l^riefly the story of the Carnegie, and summarized, 

 for those who did not understand English, what Captain Ault 

 was to say about our plans for Cruise VII. 



During the interval between his speech and that of Captain 

 Ault, a figure was seen to enter quietly and take a seat in the rear 

 of the hall. Dr. Krebs spied him, and told the audience that it 

 was Filchner, the noted explorer, who had only that day returned 

 from a hazardous expedition through Tibet and Central Asia 

 The outburst of enthusiasm that greeted this announcement was 

 immense. 



When Captain Ault rose to speak, he received an even warmer 



