Diary of an Ardent Naturalist: Letters from Austin H. Clark to his Wife from the 1906 Research Cruise of the Steamer Albatross.

The United States Fish Commission Steamer Albatross (1882- 1921) conducted research in the Western Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific Ocean. On board during the many research cruises was a "veritable Who's Who of American zoologists" (Hedgpeth, 1945). The eventful 1906 cruise, from San Francisco to Alaska, Japan, and back to San Francisco, took 7 long months. It began with the great San Francisco earthquake on 18 April, and then, near its end, the ship's captain, LeRoy M. Garrett, was lost overboard. During the cruise, extensive collections of marine and terrestrial organisms were acquired. These events, and many others, were faithfully reported by young naturalist Austin Hobart Clark in numerous affectionate letters to his wife, Mary Wendell Upham Clark. The letters, donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 2007, are an intimate and fascinating diary of life aboard the ship; they report on interpersonal relationships, visits ashore, and scientific research. Unquestionably, this incident-filled Albatross cruise helped to shape Clark's career in science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]