May 1st : 
We arrived in Havana about 6:30 P.M., after a very 
uneventful trip from Key West, the sea being as smooth 
as the proverbial mill-pond. 
I was somewhat surprised to see bunches of fifteen 
to twenty sooty terns at various intervals from the time 
we left Key West until we arrived in Havana Harbor. At 
one time, not far from the Cuban coast, I saw one of 
these small flocks going through the same maneuvers 
which I have seen Caspian terns pass through in the 
Mississippi valley, that is - ?eave the, surface of the 
water, and by a series of spiral flights mount high up 
in the air, and then beat off in a steady flight in a" 
definite direction. Is it possible that they do this 
to gain direction? 
A Mr. Abbot, solicitor for the Plaza Hotel, met. 
us at the pier and helped us through t he Customs with 
our hand baggage. The rest he said we were to leave 
until tomorrow, when Dr. Della* Torre would help u s 
in the matter. We drove up to the hotel and ^regis- 
tered -lot room ?5o. This hotel is rather interesting — 
built according to the Spanish architecture, high ceil- 
ings and huge windows in every room, opening out into 
the street or air spaces. Floors all tiled and walls 
whitewashed, strictly sanitary in every respect. 
Shortly after reaching my quarters. Dr. De.' la- Torre 
arrived with his secretary, bringing me a U.S.N.M. letter 
bearing a shipping notice. We talked over plans for the 
morrow and he left me about 8:30, by which time I was 
hungry as a bear , so I hunted up the bunch and we went 
to dinner - that is, Creenlow and I, Simpson, not feeling 
well, having turned in. After dinner there was a hall 
in the dining room - ’’Tango Tea” would be a better name 
j or it, or .jansant would be still better — a demonstrating 
couple leading in a numberof very fine dances - very 
charming, graceful, beautiful, and free from the usual 
objectionable ieatures so frequently seen, a pure sweet 
graceful combination of rhythmic motion and music. I 
watched until 10:30, 'then wrote letters to Signa, Mother, 
Anna, Dr. Mayer, and Miss Kal lenbacb, asking the latter 
when I might call. 
I should have added a word of general impression upon 
reaching these shores. The little of the Cuban coast seen 
indicates a raised beach shoreline of what appears to be 
eroded limestone, above which comes several raised beaches, 
the whole forming what might be called the coastal plain, 
behind which rises mountains in the interior. The beach 
