AN UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORT 



water decreased and the volume of air in his lungs increased proportion- 

 ately. It caused severe pain which did not abate for several hours. He 

 should, of course, have allowed air to escape from his mouth in small 

 quantities as he ascended. Among the professional deep-sea divers terrible 

 accidents have happened through lack of control of pressure caused by 

 breakage of machinery, hose, joints, etc. It is a dangerous business (pro- 

 fessional diving) and cannot be expected to be pursued without accident. 

 Richard's little incident, however, shows that the diving helmet, even at 

 moderate depths, is no plaything, and its use should be carefully guarded 

 by constant thought and by provision for every safety precaution. We have 

 learned since this incident that it is unwise to take the helmet off under any 

 circumstances while on the bottom. 



My disappointment over the results of the photographic work was in a 

 measure balanced by a most enjoyable cruise home. After Buckaroo had 

 returned to Miami, I collected some kindred spirits, and four of us, in ad- 

 dition to the yacht's regular crew, made a "non-stop" run to New Castle, 

 Delaware. A large portion of the total distance was made under sail only 

 and the time spent on the cruise was six days. 



Under favorable sailing conditions the motor was not used. Buckaroo^s 

 sailing performance was surprisingly satisfactory. She made six knots at 

 times. We found an interesting sport, while in the Gulf Stream, was prac- 

 tising marksmanship on flying fish. When they emerge from the water the 

 flight is steady as a clay pigeon. When the shooter scores a miss, the ex- 

 tent of his error can be seen on the water. Some may condemn this sport 

 as useless slaughter. I am not partial to the destruction of animal life for 

 no purpose; however, in this case my conscience is lulled by the knowledge 

 that the destiny of the flying fish is to become food for larger fish. By 

 shooting them we merely hasten their destiny. They are extremely palata- 

 ble, too, and I wished we could have devised some means of retrieving 

 them. 



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