144 Naturalist at Large 



but much more for the principal reason why Mr. Agassiz 

 took him as a companion. For Henry is an artist who could 

 have done far more than paint the exquisite illustrations of 

 the jelly fishes, concerning which he is the world's author- 

 ity. Henry's manual dexterity with any tool, as well as 

 brush or pen, is in sharp contrast to my inept pair of hands. 

 He has been a wise and sagacious counselor. 



He made two journeys with Mr. Agassiz, once joining 

 him in Ceylon, to board a small ship belonging to the British 

 India Steam Navigation Company, which was chartered 

 for a visit to the Maldive Islands, certainly one of the least- 

 known quarters of the world. In fact I have never even 

 spoken to anyone else who has ever been there. On my 

 wall hangs a picture of Mr. Agassiz seated beside the Sul- 

 tan of the Maldives, one Abdul Abou Hamadudu with 

 whom Henry carried on a correspondence for some time, 

 The poor Sultan must have fetched up in some sort of 

 jam with the British Raj, for the last letter Henry received 

 said the Sultan was in exile in Cairo. 



His other journey was on the old Albatross, a research 

 vessel belonging to the United States Bureau of Fisheries 

 but manned by the United States Navy. Mr. Agassiz ar- 

 ranged to use her for a number of long voyages on a basis 

 of sharing expenses, and then sharing the collections made, 

 with the government institutions. Henry was on the cruise 

 known as the Eastern Tropical Pacific Expedition and it 

 was during this voyage that he laid the foundations for the 

 world-wide reputation which he now enjoys as an oceanog- 

 rapher. His definition of the effect of the Humboldt Cur- 

 rent on the distribution of marine Hfe brought forth the 

 highest praise from Sir John Murray, the greatest oceanog- 



