Our visitors were evidently highly cultured people, and while not speaking our language, they certainly knew considerable about our country, while we knew nothing about theirs. I was a little surprised at the active interest taken in our guests by Captain Battell, who was usually so reticent and retiring, and this interest was plainly mutual. Although they were not able to converse, they could understand each other, and spent their time strolling about the ship and peering out over the calm waters of the ocean. After the airship had been gone about eight hours, our guests began to consult their watches and look intently toward the west. Soon a whole fleet of airships came into view. In a few minutes the foremost one separated from the others, circled around, and alighted upon our deck, and one of the occupants stepped out, and as he did so exclaimed in good English: "Thank God, you are safe! How happy I am to welcome so many of my countrymen into this world of Truth, Justice and Fraternity." "And how happy are we," said Captain Ganoe, "to be welcomed by a fellow countryman after our long voyage in these unknown waters. We have not looked in the face of a fellow being for nearly two years, and we welcome you to the deck of the Ice King, as the saviors of all that is left of its once numerous crew." The new comer threw his arms around the Captain's neck, and embraced him as a mother would her long lost child, sobbing with sudden emotion until we were all shedding tears in sympathy. Then leaving Captain Ganoe he embraced each of us in turn. "I never was so happy in my life," he exclaimed. "I hope you will excuse me for thus giving way to my feelings. I had thought I would never again look into the face of a single human being from my own native land, and this meeting with so many overcomes me." "No apologies are necessary," said Captain Ganoe. "We appreciate the man who has feelings and is not ashamed to show them, while we could not have any respect for the man who is destitute of feeling." "Thank you," said the newcomer, "and now permit me to introduce myself. My name is, or rather was, James MacNair, an American born Scotchman." Captain Ganoe then introduced himself, Battell, Huston and myself. MacNair in turn introduced our visitors as the twin sisters, Polaris and Dione, of the Life Saving Service, and then continued: