The Ernst Mayr Library's Collection of Historical Manuscripts has been chosen to be included in the Colonial North American Project, a multi-year Harvard University Library project "funded by Arcadia to survey, process/catalog, conserve, digitize," and make accessible "all known archival and manuscript materials in the Harvard Library that relate...

[This post is part of a series on the archives of the 1871-1872 Hassler expedition, written by Bruno Costelini, Science without Borders intern at the Ernst Mayr Library]

By the end of May 1872 the Hassler deep-sea dredging expedition had reached the warm waters of Peru, the steamer anchoring in Callao, next to Lima. There once again the fame of Professor Louis Agassiz would pay off with invitations to excursions on newly built railroads up the Andes and fancy dinners that much impressed the young James H. Blake:

A short walk brought us there, a very large house, almost a palace. White with long marble columns or pillars in front. We first went into a room where was a servant to black our boots brush our clothes etc, then was ushered into the gentlemans drawing room […] When we entered there were some 20 gentlemen dress very stylish […] Soon we were introduced and invited to the adjoining room to a cocktail. […] I was called by Mr. Wigs & introduced to his daughter whom I took in to dinner. There were sixty-two in all, about ½ as many ladies as gentlemen. We had about 40 different courses and sat down at 5 and arose about 9.30. Everything the country afforded was in the table it seemed – meats, fowl, gellies, pastry many kinds and fruit, six or seven varieties.

... Read more about Notes from the Hassler archives: Peruvian skulls

[This post is part of a series on the archives of the 1871-1872 Hassler expedition, written by Bruno Costelini, Science without Borders intern at the Ernst Mayr Library]

As the Hassler deep-sea dredging expedition reached Patagonia and the Strait of Magellan in March 1872, getting provisions through commerce was no longer feasible, so the job was left in the hands of the ship’s crew and even of the members of the scientific party, as James H. Blake describes in these passages of his journal, written in Elizabeth Island:

We could see large rookeries at different places on the land where hundreds of birds were sitting and as all in the boat were anxious to get to them first it was arranged that all should land at the same time and at the word “go” fire the birds. There was a large variety of them and the cormorant (Phalaecrocorax) being the most abundant. Some of the party went one way by the shore and some the other to look for sea-lions […]

... Read more about Notes from the Hassler archives: Encounters in Patagonia

[This post is part of a series on the archives of the 1871-1872 Hassler expedition, written by Bruno Costelini, Science without Borders intern at the Ernst Mayr Library]

After being prevented from going onshore in Recife due to a yellow fever outbreak in the city, one could expect that the Hassler party would be anxious to step on land as soon as they arrived in Rio de Janeiro, on January 23rd 1872. However, they seemed to rejoice under the ship’s awning, which provided shelter from the blistering heat, and spent time observing the scenery as Blake sketched on his journal:

The entrance of the harbor we arrived at about 8 o’clock and I confess I am far from being able to do them justice by any description., but on either side are the lofty mountains which are very picturesque and grand. The Noted Sugar Loaf [which as the story goes only one man has ever climbed, he an American sailor who planted the Union Jack there] is situated on the left hand side a very steep rock, almost perpendicular and doe to the water, on the western side is a ridge of hills about half as high, extending against the back of it.

... Read more about Notes from the Hassler archives: Carnival in Rio