THE TROPICAL PACIFIC 365 



As the Albatross approached the deep hole, about 

 75 miles from Tongatabu, preparations were made with 

 care and considerable anxiety for what was by far the 

 deepest dredging ever accomplished ; and the trawl was 

 finally lowered in 4173 fathoms. When at last the net 

 was successfully hauled on board there was naturally 

 much curiosity to see what it contained. The first thing 

 to fall out was a small rubber frog. Agassiz looked at it 

 for a second in amazement, and then, glancing up with 



a smile, exclaimed, " That d Rodman ! " Much to his 



surprise, as he had expected nothing but mud, the bag 

 contained a number of large fragments of a silicious 

 sponge, and the bottom was found to consist of light- 

 brown volcanic mud mixed with radiolarians. 



When the Albatross was sighted approaching the 

 harbor of Nukualofa on Tongatabu, the king of the 

 islands called for his army of thirty-five men, who had 

 been peacefully digging yams, forced them into the 

 most uncomfortable European uniforms, and kept them 

 occupied firing a brass cannon by way of salute. 



"We went to see his Majesty King George of Tonga, 

 with the British Consul. It was quite an opera bouffe 

 performance and reminded me of old times at Honolulu 

 with old King Kalakaua. The King was got up in his 

 uniform with stars and orders, and sat in a high chair 

 with a crown on the back of it. His cabinet surrounded 

 him and one of the missionaries acted as interpreter. 

 The Captain and a few officers were in their f nil toggings, 

 and Woodworth and I in white clothes. The palace is 

 a cheap tawdry American wooden house with gaudy 

 carpets. We were received at the gate by the King ! 

 band playing 'Hail Columbia,' and the King's army of 



