152 RENAISSANCE 



about the rapid rise of water in the hull. It was already 

 over the engine room floor and none of the pumps was 

 working. 



The tug already had an unpleasant, wallowing motion 

 and there was nothing to do but put about immediately 

 and head for shore as fast as possible. Mr. Vincent Astor, 

 who was passing in a fast motor boat, came over and 

 asked if we needed a tow. We were glad to have him 

 within reach but we managed to get to St. Georges under 

 our own power. 



When examined the next day, the hole could not be 

 found until one of the divers saw a good-sized gray snap- 

 per vanish before his eyes, followed by a bunch of floating 

 sargassum weed. The hole was thus located, plugged, and 

 for an entire day the engineer angled in vain for the snap- 

 per, swimming merrily within our hull. 



One of us had taken the long chance of removing the 

 steel plug from the third, or port window, and inserting 

 the spare quartz window which we had reserved in case of 

 accident. Lacking exact knowledge of how the packing 

 was done at the factory, it was a risk, but three windows 

 would afford more opportunity for observation than two, 

 especially when one was almost blocked with the bulky 

 electric light apparatus. 



Early on Tuesday, the thirteenth, we set forth again. 

 We headed south-southeast from Nonsuch and when six 

 miles off-shore turned up wind and got the bathysphere 

 into harness. We stripped her interior of all instruments. 



