370 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



Agassiz obtained what was probably the last complete 

 suit of cocoauut fibre armor on the islands. Always on 

 the watch for anything of this character, he writes, " I 

 have got quite a number of mats, axes, weapons, from 

 the different islands which are getting very valuable, 1 

 as the advent of civilization spoils their habits for this 

 old-fashioned work, and they forget their own arts in 

 the care of buying cotton cloth and all the cheap stuff 

 which they now buy from the traders in exchange for 

 their copra and fruit." 



The Albatross reached Jaluit, the capital of the Mar- 

 shalls, early in January. 



TO MISS E. H. CLARK 



Jaluit, Jan. 10, 1900. 



We had a fair passage from Taritari, but how slow, 

 210 miles in two days and only delayed three hours by 

 soundings. This is a fair sample of the speed and how 

 it interferes with all work. We ought to have in that 

 time made a passage and spent the greater part of the 

 day trawling, etc., but we should never get anywhere 

 did I do anything but coral work and the necessary 

 soundings. 



I have found all the coal I had ordered here and in 

 excellent condition. . . . The Germans here in charge 

 are most pleasant people ; the agent for the Jaluit 

 Company, Mr. Hiitter, is an educated man who has been 

 in charge of the Marshall Island business since 1885, at 

 the time when the Company which practically owned the 

 islands passed them over to the German Government. 

 We dined with him and the Commissioner in charge of the 

 German Government interests who has a very pleasant 



1 This collection is now at the Peabody Museum in Cambridge. 



