Narrative of Bahama Expedition. 105 



grateful relief after the long siege of salt meat. Unfortunately 

 we put to sea before the party enjoyed their iirst meal of 

 green-turtle steaks, and once in rough water the capacity to 

 enjo}' anything eatable was completely gone, so far as several 

 of our company were concerned. 



One of the most surprising things about these giant reptiles 

 is the smallness of their brain, a specimen weighing over two 

 hundred pounds having a brain no larger than one's finger, 

 reminding one of the diminutive cerebral development of the 

 old-fashioned mammals pictured in our geological text-books. 

 Portions of the viscera were saved in alcohol for future studv. 

 One turtle was skinned and the other skeletonized for museum 

 specimens. 



It was with no little relief that we finally found ourselves 

 outside the entrance to the treacherous channel into this bav, 

 and turned the pilot and his men adrift with many expressions 

 of good-will toward the man who had not only proved a com- 

 petent pilot, but a sailor able to manage a one-hundred-and 

 lifteen-ton schooner by himself. 



Our main object in visiting Bahia Honda had been to 

 attempt to secure specimens of that rarest of crinoids, Iloloptis 

 rangei (Carpenter). It was here that Prof. Alexander Agas- 

 siz had secured a specimen, and he it was who suggested the 

 possibility of our striking a spot rich in this interesting species. 

 We found, however, that the bottom dropped so suddenly 

 just outside the harbor that we could not find it witli the 

 two-hundred-fathom sounding-line without going nearer to 

 the reefs than prudence would allow, especially with a sailing 

 vessel. We then put over the tangle-bar and paid out our 

 entire stock of wire rope, three hundred fathoms, but failed 

 to reach bottom. Evening was approaching, the weather 

 looked threatening, and above all there was a fair wind for 

 Key West, and we concluded it was wise to give up the 

 Ifolopiis, and set sail for American territory. It took no great 

 discernment to see that the moment the stern of the •' Emily 

 E. Johnson" was pointed squarely toward the Cuban coast 

 was one of intense relief to Captain Flowers, whose patience 



