stefansson-wrangel-09-06-130-002

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hoping partly that he might possibly have some money he was willing to
put into the enterprise for reasons of public spirit. I found, however,
that although he was thoroughly sympathetic, he was not in a position to
put in any money at the moment. What he offered to do was to have his
attorneys incorporate the company without any charge to me and to have
the office work all done by his regular office force at Vancouver. It was
also arranged that he would take the position of Vice-President of the
company. We thought that while we might eventually develop into a real
commercial concern, the commercial aspect would for the time being be
merely apparent, the real purpose being the continuation of the political
occupation of the territory.

As stated above, this company had been incorporated and I had
definitely engaged some men to go North and do the actual work before I
received your telegram saying that the Hudson's Bay Company had decided
to put a port on Wrangel Island. Had your telegram come a week or two
sooner, I should doubtless have refrained from the steps above outlined.
However, when your telegram came I considered it wise to go ahead, for you
said that the Company's ship would proceed to Wrangel Island only after a
visit to Herschel Island. There are so many accidents and delays possible
in those distant waters that it seemed still worth while to go ahead with
our enterprise. We would then have two attempts under way and if one
failed the other might succeed.

The present situation, so far as my enterprise is concerned, is
as follows: The following four men were employed by the Stefansson Explor-
ation and Development Company, Ltd. - A. R. Crawford of Toronto, Canada, to
be in command; E. L. Knight, F. W. Maurer, and Milton Galle. Knight and
Maurer were both members of my expedition of 1917-18 but Galle is an
inexperienced man. In ordinary course I should have liked to put either
Knight or Maurer in charge, for they are both good and tried men, but the
opinion of our attorneys was that a Britisher had to be in charge of the
enterprise or else the political purpose might be defeated. That being
the main concern, I had to put some Britisher in command and eventually
selected Mr. Crawford.

Our company [illegible] the small power schooner Orion. The
four men mentioned above left Seattle by the passenger steamer Victoria,
August 18th, and should arrive in Nome about to-day or to-morrow. The
Orion is to be there waiting for them and ready to sail. They will prob-
ably have to engage one or two more men. The party will then proceed to
Wrangel Island if they can.

With respect to the possible establishment of a Hudson's Bay
Company's post on Wrangel Island, I have instructed my men that they are
to be in every way as friendly and useful to your people as possible.
They understand that they would not have been sent to Wrangel Island at
all but for the uncertainty of your people getting there. Furthermore,
they know that my relations with the Hudson's Bay Company are the most
friendly. In short, I have impressed upon them in every way that their
purpose is not antagonistic to that of your Company and they are to explain
the situation along that line to whoever is in charge there on your behalf.
I told them specially that if they had a chance to see Mr. Kelly they were