312 CRUISE OF THE BARRERA 



Ashore, the burning of cane-refuse illumined the 

 fields bringing us the crackle of blazing fires and 

 the aromatic odor of its smoke. Most wonderful 

 of all, there was entire freedom from mosquitoes. 



So beautiful a night could but accentuate a 

 gloom oppressing us all, although its perfection 

 appropriately marked the end of our voyage. No 

 friction had marred our close association of many 

 days. Working strenuously toward the common 

 end, a spirit of helpfulness imbued one and all, 

 including our Majorcan crew. Indeed a happy 

 mood of levity and badinage had always reigned, 

 and discomforts had been laughed away. We 

 had been a very happy family in our little floating 

 home. We were now to separate, probably never 

 to reassemble under such similar pleasant auspices. 



The following day we left the schooner and 

 proceeded to Havana (by diligence to Guanajay 

 and thence by rail). The schooner arrived the 

 next morning and we at once began the arduous 

 task of packing our material for shipment to 

 Washington — a task that required two full days 

 of hard work. Of the thousand or more jars of 

 alcoholics but one was broken when the crates 

 and barrels were unpacked at the National Mu- 



