AMERICA'S FIRST POLAR EXPEDITION 



When the ships were reported ready for sea, a new 

 cause of delay arose. The cooking galleys which had 

 been purchased at Captain Jones's request turned out 

 failures. He demanded new galleys that would burn an- 

 thracite coal, and more than a month passed before these 

 were finished. 



At last, on September 26, Mr. Dickerson ordered Cap- 

 tain Jones to sail as soon as he was ready. On October 

 12, he did sail — to New York, where supplies were to be 

 taken aboard. The scientific corps reported to Captain 

 Jones for consultation about instruments, furniture, etc., 

 and the necessary stowage room for them. On November 

 10, new sailing orders were given to Captain Jones, but 

 the vessels still needed repairs. During this new period 

 of inaction, discontent arose among the crews. For many 

 of the men, the time of enlistment had expired; and they 

 were not eager to rejoin. Captain Jones recommended 

 that they should be transferred to the regular service, 

 whereby each man who should reenlist would receive a 

 bounty of fifty dollars. This plan filled out the comple- 

 ment; but one night a hundred and fifty men, who were 

 on shore leave, deserted, and that caused another delay. 



It was a time of discouragement for Captain Jones. 

 Moreover, he was at odds with everyone. The delay and 

 the wrangling had tried the tempers of all concerned. 

 Everyone was ready to take offense, and Captain Jones, who 

 was not only harassed but also actually ill with an affection 

 of the lungs, was ready to give up the whole enterprise. 

 He insinuated — at least a letter of his was interpreted as 

 an insinuation — that Lieutenant Wilkes was keeping back 

 from the expedition some of the instruments he had 

 bought. He wrangled again with the Secretary of the 

 Navy. Even the Rev. Walter Colton, for whose appoint- 

 ment Jones himself had asked, proved false. He was ready 

 to take the position of historiographer. Captain Jones 

 protested. " It is true," he wrote, " that the varied scenes 

 of wild nature which may fall under our observation would 

 be the finest sources for the vivid imagination of a Scott, 

 a Byron, an Irving or a Cooper, from which to draw 

 sketches or tales of romance for the gay and light reader, 

 but of little value to the philosopher or the naturalist. 



381 



