180 ALBACORA 



plained to the Grace people the importance of our trip. 

 He told them that Rivas would send his analyses and 

 reports to government officials, universities and com- 

 mercial fishermen throughout South America. If Rivas 

 had any success at all, the work was certain to help 

 commercial fishing which, in turn, might help the Grace 

 Company. After considering and evaluating our expe- 

 dition, the company reconsidered. They called Lou 

 back with a pledge offering us just as much assistance 

 as they could muster. Their hauling fee dropped to a 

 sum so low it was clearly below their own costs. All 

 Grace's extensive docking facilities in South America 

 were opened to the Explorer. Their chief agent in each 

 country would also act as agent for our expedition. Of- 

 ten I have heard about the heartless attitudes that form 

 the backdrop for big business. I would be the last per- 

 son ever to claim that a big company like Grace throws 

 its business sense to the winds to invest heavily in losing 

 scientific ventures. In dealing with us, the Grace Com- 

 pany displayed something else. It showed imagination. 



Along with the Explorer, we had to ship twenty-eight 

 cases of equipment. They weighed an additional three 

 tons. Included were fishing equipment, life rafts, diving 

 apparatus and innumerable spare parts for the boat. 

 We did not know very much about Iquique at the time, 

 but we did know that it was hardly the place in which 

 to find an equipped modern repair shop. 



The Explorer left New York during March. It had a 



