SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 
UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 
July 7» 1937 
Dr* A# Wetmore, 
Assistant Secretary 
U, S* National Museum 
Dear Dr* Wetmore: 
In accordance with your letters of authorization and in- 
struction of February 2, 1937* I proceeded to Charleston, South 
Carolina, on February 27* to join the Ship ^JOSEPH CONRAD 11 * In 
Charleston we were delayed several days because of engine trouble* 
Newly reconditioned, the Conrad during the early stages of this first 
Sraithsonian-Hartford Expedition, 1937* was undergoing, as it were, her 
shake-down trials* Engine trouble and delayed battery renewals dogged 
our steps to Palm Beach and during the greater part of our seven days 
stay there* 
While in Charleston I visited the Museum, my first opportunity 
of going over this most interesting institution, the first museum in 
America* I was most hospitably entertained by E* Burnham Chamberlin, 
H Bob M Lunz who was to be my assistant during the cruise, and Mr* Jermain 
Slocum, well-known to you* The night of the first of March I gave an 
illustrated talk on the Galapagos Islands before a number of the friends 
of that institution* We left Charleston St 45 A. M# March 2, arrived in 
Palm Beach early the next morning, sailing a considerable part of the way* 
A square-rigger is a grand sight under full canvas and as easy sailing as 
she is to look at* 
In Palm Beach, Mr* Hartford joined the ship, having been un- 
able to do so earlier in Charleston because of an attack of the M flu ,f . 
We were entertained several, times at Mr* Hartford 1 s home and on one of 
these occasions I gave a group of guests a talk on my Galapagos experi- 
ences, illustrated by motion pictures slides* Mr* and Mrs* Hartford 
placed an auto at our disposal while in Palm Beach, but we did not have 
much need for it except for a couple of shopping trips to West Palm 
Beach, several calls we paid to the Hartford home, and one day f s trip 
to Miami to complete arrangements for the delivery of the diving hood 
and other gear gotten together for the expedition by Captain John Mills 
of the Tortugas Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution, and to purchase 
