UNDER-SEA PHOTOGRAPHY 157 



right spot and it took a good many trips before I was 

 sure of myself and the distances. 



My first dive was about thirty-five minutes, and 

 after a short rest, down again for about the same 

 time. The boys never did learn the signals so I had 

 to climb the life line and it always astonished them 

 when the helmet shot out of the water and I grabbed 

 the side of the launch. At first I worked only the 

 smaller cameras the big one was so hard to lower to 

 the bottom and lift from the water into the launch, 

 although it was very easy to handle under sea. 

 Finally I made a sort of stretcher to carry it from 

 the laboratory to the launch and then up-ending the 

 stretcher, the camera slid gently into the ocean. To 

 raise it we would, after I had climbed on board, put 

 the stretcher between it and the side of the boat, tie 

 the rope to the upper end and bear down, lifting it 

 this way and then sliding it on board midship. 



I soon began to enjoy the work very much and 

 would stay down two or three hours till I had used 

 all my film or taken all the good locations within 

 reach of my hose and life line. 



Reaching the bottom I would pick up a tripod, 

 metal to weight it, and a piece of ten-foot gas pipe 

 for a cane and measuring rod, walk around till I 

 found just the view I wanted good coral, lots of 

 fish and the right light, set up the tripod, measure 



