226 Naturai. History Bulletin. 



the "Emily E.Johnson" who was not ready to join heartily 

 in the cheer that went up from her deck as the vessel came 

 about and sail was set for home. The confined quarters and 

 restricted cuisine and cabin-top beds had long since been shorn 

 of their novelty. The w^ork for which we had come had been 

 accomplished, and we felt that it had been well done. It 

 was therefore natural that thoughts of home and friends should 

 once more occupy the imagination, and find vent in an impa- 

 tience at every lull in the breeze which bore us northward. 



The homeward voyage, like the rest of the cruise, had its 

 full quota of w^ork for all. The collections were to be packed 

 for shipment from Baltimore to Iowa City, and it was neces- 

 sarv to thoroughly overhaul all the equipment and put it in as 

 good shape as possible for transportation. Personal effects 

 were furbished up in anticipation of once more entering into 

 the round of civilized life. The collection and equipment were 

 found eventually to necessitate the packing of one hundred 

 and thirty-one barrels, boxes, crates and other parcels, and the 

 proper disposition of all this material was a task involving no 

 little labor. A list was of course kept of the articles packed, 

 and each parcel carefully marked and checked. 



During the homeward voyage the provisions became so 

 reduced in variety that there was little left save Hour, butter, 

 coffee, tea. and some canned fruits and vegetables. The meat 

 was almost completely gone before the end of the cruise, 

 owing largely to the fact that the corned beef and pickled 

 pork which had been packed in barrels had become tainted 

 during the prolonged sojourn in a hot climate. We found 

 that dried apples and peaches kept remarkably well, and so 

 did rice and beans. The failure of the potatoes caused one 

 of the most serious deprivations. Of course there was no fish 

 to be had while we were under way, and the absence, or at 

 least very scanty supply, of meat was a hardship which would 

 have been felt more severely had w'e not been homeward 

 bound. There was no danger of actual want, however, so 

 long as the flour and coffee held out. and we had a super- 

 abundance of both of these staples. The thing most to be 



