Page:The open Polar Sea- a narrative of a voyage of discovery towards the North pole, in the schooner "United States" (IA openpolarseanarr1867haye).pdf/47



CHAPTER I.

LEAVING BOSTON.—AT ANCHOR IN NANTASKET ROADS.—AT SEA.

Late in the evening of July 6th, 1860, the schooner United States was hauled into the stream, prepared to leave port the following morning.

The morning dawned clear and auspicious. Upon going on board, I found that a number of friends whom I had invited to accompany us down the bay had preceded me by half an hour. Among them were His Excellency the Governor of the State, and representatives of the Boston, New York and Philadelphia committees.

The fine, large steam-tug R. B. Forbes soon came alongside, alive with a gay party of well-wishers, and, taking the end of our hawser, started us from our anchorage. As we passed Long Wharf we were honored with a salute from a battery which the Mayor of the city had sent down for that purpose, and numerous parting cheers greeted us as we steamed down the bay.

The wind being unfavorable, we dropped anchor for the night in Nantasket Roads. The tug took most of our friends back to Boston, and I was left in my cabin with the official representatives of the promoters of the enterprise, engaged in the last of our