PREPARATIONS FOR THE EXPEDFTION. 43 



"■ I am too old a man," replied Mr. Grinnell, " and I 

 have done my share. Younger men must take the 

 matter in hand. There is Mr. James Gordon Bennett. 

 He is the man to undertake such an expedition. You 

 should apply to him." 



It was the first day of November, 1873, when this 

 conversation occurred, and Mr. De Long acted promptly 

 on the hint, and wrote to Mr. Bennett, who was then in 

 Paris. Mr. Bennett had already considered such an 

 expedition, and made a courteous reply, but upon his 

 return to this country early in 1874, a personal inter- 

 view with his correspondent convinced him at once 

 that the most important element in the expedition, the 

 man to command, was found. Mr. De Long in his let- 

 ter had named Lieutenant Chipp, his companion on the 

 Little Juniata, as one whom he should like to have as- 

 sociated with him, and from the first Mr. Bennett re- 

 garded him as Mr. De Long's right hand man. 



The matter rested until near the end of November, 

 1876. There had been, it will be remembered, some 

 complications with Spain which at one time made war 

 seem possible, and it was inexpedient to consider the 

 expedition under such circumstances. Mr. De Long 

 was detached from the Juniata in January, 1874, and 

 ordered to the Brooklyn, with which he remained till 

 near the end of the year, when he was transferred to 

 the Nautical School Ship St. Mary's, which was com- 

 missioned by the United States Navy, but was under 

 the supervision of the Board of Education of New York 

 city. 



Li November, 1876, Mr. Bennett and Lieutenant De 

 Long resumed their consideration of the expedition, 

 and it was determined to look for a vessel with all pos- 

 sible dispatch, and to start for the North Pole the fol- 



