NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 315 



start their wild shakings and gyrations — motions which would 

 reduce a white man to pulp in a few moments. 



We found here exquisite inlay-work in native woods, besides 

 the fine plaited hats and fans for which the Island is noted. The 

 wood of the coconut-tree, which we had believed valueless, is 

 here used for many purposes, and looks well when polished. 

 Almost everyone on board had been bartering for these products, 

 and for small pearls. The "singlet" was the most usual medium 

 of exchange, just as it had been in Easter Island and Penrhyn; 

 although dark trousers or old coats were much in demand. Some 

 of the party in this way accumulated a respectable number of 

 seed-pearls. Captain Ault was presented with two very fine 

 specimens by the Resident Agent as he bade us farewell. 



We were now but a few days from Samoa, and the fast dwindling 

 supply of gasoline was eked out by catching every breath of air 

 that blew our way. Reports and computations for the voyage 

 about to close kept all hands at work till late at night. 



The temperature of the ocean-bottom had been measured at 

 almost every oceanographic station since Honolulu, but just 

 outside Samoa we recorded our lowest — one and one-tenth de- 

 grees Centigrade. Another interesting observation was that in 

 this region of long-continued calms, the surface may be almost a 

 whole degree warmer than the water five meters below it; dif- 

 ferences of one or two hundredths degrees are usual, when winds 

 mix the surface-layers. There was also a two-degree diurnal 

 variation at the surface due to the sunshine. 



The outstanding result of our echo-sounding was the discovery 

 of a new submarine ridge just north of Hawaii. We were able also 

 to show that there is no deep trough between Penrhyn and Mani- 

 hiki, as the charts would lead one to believe. The slopes of these 

 two islands, as well as that of Tutuila, were carefully plotted. 



Pilot-balloon flights had been very successful, thanks to the 

 fine skies and the new theodolite. This instrument was so well 

 adapted to conditions, that the sextant-chair designed by Captain 

 Ault was seldom used. 



Radio conditions had been unexcelled throughout the entire 

 trip. Daily schedules with many amateurs in the United States, 



