CHAPTER XIX 
HOMEWARD BOUND OVER A LONELY OCEAN 
August 15 was sailing day and of course a busy one for all of 
us. Bills had to be paid and the innumerable ‘‘last things’’ at- 
tended to. I went early to see Stoner and found him better but 
still very weak. It was fortunate that Mrs. Stoner with the train- 
ing of a professional nurse was with us to look after him. I was 
very anxious to get him safely aboard the Tahiti as it would have 
been hard to leave one of our little party behind and on the sick 
list. 
It rained during the morning, but in showers, not a continuous 
down-pour. We put all our collections, including the cage with 
the four tuatara, or sphenodons, that were to travel in my charge, 
on a government lorry and took them to the dock. The police 
stopped us at the entrance to the wharf and were inclined to make 
trouble about the sphenodons but were finally convinced after 
some argument that these animals were important passengers ¢con- 
signed to the State University of Iowa by the Dominion Govern- 
ment which had also given me a formal permit duly signed, sealed 
and delivered to export them from New Zealand. 
I then hunted up the ship’s butcher in whose charge they were 
to be placed in accordance with instructions from the steamship 
company. He was asleep and not very amiable at first, but finally 
undertook the responsibility for a consideration. When we took 
the cage containing the lizard-like creatures to the butcher’s 
quarters some of the crew objected. ‘‘I say, Mister, we don’t eat 
those things!’’ 
I went back to the hotel for lunch and sent a eable to President 
Jessup: ‘‘Starting home, well, successful,’’ which I knew would 
be welcome news to our friends at home; then I took a taxi and 
transported my baggage down to the wharf. 
There seemed to be no system about getting luggage aboard as 
the stewards, it appears, do not handle it except on the ship; but 
I finally induced one of them to take my things up the gangway 
and to the stateroom which I was to share with my old ‘‘bunkie’’ 
Wylie. Then I took a place at the rail and watched our collec- 
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