50 



the instruments. There Avas little opportunity for amusement or 

 diversion on a small vessel like the Marion^ so it is small wonder that 

 during the last month we had sometimes detected long faces on many 

 of the men who were most eager, early in July, to seek Arctic romance 

 and adventure. 



The American consul at St. John's did his utmost to help us after 

 our arrival. Everyone we met, in fact, was extremely kind and 

 cordial. The commanding officer made official calls on the governor 

 and the ma3^or. Fresh Avater and stores were taken aboard. Hun- 

 dreds of people came doAvn to the wharf where the Marion was 

 secured, and once more the caged polar bear, Marion, proved a center 

 of attraction. 



At 4 p. m. on September 12, after a one-day stay, the Marion 

 departed from St. John's and headed southward. Full speed was 

 rung up on both motors, enabling us to round Cape Kace by 10.30 

 p. m. Once past this headland, the Marion was steered toward the 

 west and home. Fine weather continued on the morning of the 13th, 

 but during the afternoon there was fog and rain. Throughout most 

 of the 14th and 15th the ship ran before a northeast gale. Speed 

 Avas never slackened, and Avitli all four sails set and straining the 

 noAv lightly loaded ship rolled and tAvisted, steadily covering the 

 tedious miles. 



About noon on September 16 Nantucket Sound Avas entered. It 

 was very good to feel the Avarm land breezes and to see the green 

 shores of the United States ao^ain. At 4 p. m. the Marion tied 

 up to the steamboat Avharf at Vineyard Haven, Mass., the home 

 of the commanding officer. While he Avas ashore in the evening 

 croAvds of summer visitors and island residents came doAA^n to look 

 at the ship. 



On September 17 many visitors Avere shoAvn about on board. The 

 public-school children Avere marched doAvn by classes. After look- 

 ing at the bear and the various scientific instruments, each class 

 Avas told of the trip through the northland and shoAvn an imposing 

 array of souvenirs that hacl been obtained in the land of the Eskimo. 



The night of September 17 Avas spent running to the westward. 

 At 6.25 a. m. on September 18, 1928, the Marion moored to the 

 State pier in Ncav London, Conn., her home station. The intensiA^e 

 73-day cruise to the Arctic Avas finally ended. 



The bear in the Avell-strengthened bear cage aft Avas shipped by ex- 

 press to the National Zoo at Washington, D. C, and the scientific in- 

 struments were dismantled and put in storage ashore. In a few days 

 all the extra personnel had been transferred and the ship Avas ready 

 for her regular service again. 



The Marion proved ideal for the Avork and could not have been 

 better if especially constructed for the expedition. She is a fine sea 

 boat, capable of operating almost anyAvhere in the Avorld. The 

 fact that not once in all her cruising in the Arctic, thousands of miles 

 from machine shops and supplies, had there been a breakdown of her 

 motors, speaks eloquently for the reliability of the machinery installa- 

 tion. The Hill-Diesel, although heavily taxed Avith furnishing power 

 for the Avinches at every station, never faltered. The Delco generator 

 also functioned Avell, but Avhen Ave got started on the lines of stations 

 we found the extra output from the Hill Avas sufficient to keep the 



