CAPTAINS HUDSON AND LONG 



guished as the commander of the Niagara when it was 

 engaged in the laying of the Atlantic cable. Dana saw 

 much of this officer, for he was attached to the Peacock 

 during most of the voyage, and was upon it at the time 

 of its wreck. 



Lieutenant (afterward Captain) Andrew K. Long 

 commanded the store-ship Relief, which encountered 

 great perils in the Cape Horn seas. Dana was tempo- 

 rarily on board of the vessel at this time. 



Lieutenant-Commander Cadwalader Ringgold (1802- 

 1867) (afterward Rear- Admiral) was in charge of the brig 

 Porpoise. He was a native of Maryland, who entered the 

 navy as a midshipman and saw active service in the West 

 Indies, under Commodore Porter, whose " mosquito 

 fleet " had been engaged in the suppression of piracy. 

 He was an active and useful man upon the exploring 

 expedition, and ten years after its return was placed in 

 command of the North Pacific Exploring Expedition, 

 a position that, from ill-health, he was soon obliged to 

 resign. 



The formation of the scientific corps was no easy task. 

 I have not ascertained how it happened that Dana came 

 to be considered as a member, very likely it was due 

 to Dr. Asa Gray. 



" In August, 1836," Dana says, " Mr. J. N. Reynolds 

 arrived in New Haven and consulted me in relation to 

 joining an expedition about to be fitted up for the Ant- 

 arctic seas and Pacific Ocean. I gave no definite answer 

 at the time, but soon after wrote from Utica, declining 

 the situation. Afterwards, on solicitation from Dr. Asa 

 Gray, who had been selected as botanist, I concluded to 

 be a candidate for the situation offered." 



In the following January, a commission carne from the 

 Secretary of the Navy, appointing Dana a member of the 

 scientific corps, with a salary of $2500 per annum, and 



53 



