New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-02-10
THE HASSLER EXPEDITION.


OSITIES. .,.,,,.., -, MIR T,,ptyv
,ypow yoCCAsoYAL CORRESPoNpENroFIlih IribuHh'
II 9 q s. STEAMER HASsLER, OFF CAPE o.
pooux Ian 1-wben an overzealous advocate VI hortn
S,orn cxploratons complained to sydney smlth that
Ss1ta,n Lord OF the Admiralty had actually said
EN- the North Pole" the witty parson replied; e
could not mind that why, have heard him even speak
H,respectfuIlv OF the Equator" If his LOrdship ap
nroaehed the Line under such skies, such seas as
we have experienced since leaving Barba-
does he was certainly eXcusabie' Such wea'hcr
has been enough 10 make even old sailors speak WIN
Indifference II disrespect of all geography ana al
science Who cares for the temperature OF the WATER
the hight of the dewpon the discovery OF new genera
or even new families when he is harassed by the perpe
nal conscousness of a stomach and Of stomach HAT
easei For nine days after leaving the charming
bosptalities of BrdgetOwn, had one tedious expert
epce renewed day after day Tossed in your perth an
night like pancake in the pan just ready 10 ne ''
you arise at length, at early dawn, GyiHH' WV"
% Jove how endless The nights ~
But IT'S out OF the fryingpan into the fire. lou
sfagger about in the vain attempt 10 make your "'
the cabin boy brings you your conee; 20" ni"n"No =.
drink a part and spill part, ana by 'io 'oNPoi'i'
energy infused by what you drink get your co'neS o
and soramble on deck Then begins day as ehdeSs III
a., ,donsness as the night had been Light squalls with
sprinklng of rain around you every sde ana Ooca
soDally passing over your vessel; and around on al
sides On nterminabe wilderness Of white caps 'unehs
after each other in endless monotony, over sea
yexed by the gentle 4" trade winds winds WHICH arc
for the most part dead ahead for us. and sea through
which our little steamer pushes her way not "l'n" III
cessant iostlng and the receipt OF rude blows. NO
whales no porroises no fish, birds. no exterha thlhs
70 vary the edum OF the day. while the tossing anu tne
nausea made il hard TO read, write, or talk our COM
pany proved however true g and those VINO iei' inc
worst were genuine Mark Tapeys, and Kept Joly' 10
their credit and their profit. must however,
do the Equator the justice to say that our
second week out OF Barbados gave us much
smoother seas and iOlty required much less virtue
PorpOises tumbed about bows, gulls and pelrels
lowered around flying fish came aboard by night ana
on one or two afternoons the elegant Portuguese meno
war hosted their purple sails and went slowly past us
We asked Agassz for lecture upon this wonderful AMI
NAL OF community OF animals and 1t was charming
break in the monotouy Of life to see him seadyng
himself by the mzzen shrouds, he explained chalk IN
hand a painted cloth serving blackboard, the nys-
teres OF tins exquisite bubble on the ocean fOa 10 an
audience crowded about the cabin skyiShts But the
windIwas still ahead and instead of making RIO III 10 or
10 DAYS from BarbadOes with consumption OF half our
coal a. we had hoped here on the 10th day. with
all our coal gone forced put into Pernambuco for
fresh supply The wind fayor and We are rejoic-
lng in a speed of 10 knots.
There is Of course nothing Of importance TO report in
the scientific way. The great delay in starting the
expedition cOmpels 10 postpone real work until we
get through the Straits Of Magellan. The ten hours
dredging Sandy Bay Barbados and other work there
and at ST Thomas merely for the purpose OF testing
the machinery and being that every thing Is right
before passing Rio, where alone we can hope to find
means Of supplying any deficiency which may be found
The tests not only showed TO be in order but
gave us many treasures from the bottom of the sea In
addition to those which already had obtained from
shsower waters The novelties brought mp in ten hours
9. 81, IeHra 4aVfa rapCfl ia
bic study 20 several naturasts, ii properly divided
among them.
Yet must confess kind Of mild disappointment at
many things this experience. When had read
In the reports OF other expeditions of the dredge bring
ing mp at haul great varieties Of things with elegant
Latin names had imagined to myself these creatures
all appearing in holiday dresses as elegant as their
names II was sort of disappointment to see
our dredge out washtub fun OF mud ana stones
Mountaineering and covering multitude OF Shells coras
a,..s corautnes, echinoderms and other things will
81 elegant names, GOrgonas Pumuarias, and know
not what The wOndrOus richness was there, hut wa
not expecting il disguised. Is this eXperienc
mine alone, ia it simply humanl The imagination
long continues the habits Of childhood; it higtens tn
color and enarges the dimensions Of ITS objects In IN
higher and more valuable qualities Of the object tn
Imagination never exceeds the reality hut in mere siz
and brihancy Il very commonly expects too much.
while in Barbados, took breakfast with gentleman
on shore My boat landed me about half mile from tn
house at about si5 o'clock, and walked lesurely alon
hard clean, smooth McAdam road, under the shade o
various in the gardens by the way Among then
was grand old bearded fig, from which the island re
ceiyes its name. found my hosts house standing be
hind a grove of lofty trees, many OF which were 4
flower He asked us into his garden, and there enter
tanned US few minutes until breakfast was announced
What garden A few English vegetables seemed dom
we'll but beside them breadfrut tree. with fruit
aud buds thereon mango covered with youn
hon nd
thrifty Indian CORR Guinea and sugar cane. Larg
springs at the OF the garden supplied ample Dish
ponds with clear water. in which the companion
II the fish, which few minutes afterward we found
delicious the table outside these ponds ran ittl
arm OF the sea- also full Of hsh-every cast of ne
proved US that fact-aud its banks alive with crabs
Everything about novel was tropical; every
thing was beautiful constantly admiring the won
derfu decacy and elegance Of flower or plant
was there in Christmas week, enjoying Unexpected.
the most cordial and generous hospitality Of the Yves
Indies where the thermometer never falls TO 7O0 ant
the vegetation of the Pacific isles was also fourshnj
before me- yet disappointed. was looking sup
pose chdishly for the Valley of the Amazon or of h'
Orinoco, and only found Barbados.
There ia another disappointment which must also
charge to Humboldt The stars seem brighter TO me
here than on our northern coast but not brighter thar
from the crest the Sierra in California. The zOdiaca
light is hne but not so wonderfully fine as expected
A for the Mageanc clouds and the Southern Cross
cannot yet any reason why anybody should &c
into rsptures them The Magellanc clouds do not
10 my eye exceed the Milky Way and for the South
ern Cross. cannot ts superiority to any Of twenty
other consultations. 1t is small constellation not
brilliant and not in the form Of cross. But am not
disappointed in the vast extent OF the tOrrd zOne in
It's changeless temperature, in its delicious fruits
And disappointed in the sea- its magnitude, Its
clear blue depths the mystery OF its life Our engines
needing repackng. one day stopped for few hours
The nearest land 100 miles distant and the sea OF
unknown depth. ! suggested that we try drag net.
The first haul brought up exquisite little fish not