stefansson-wrangel-09-09-016-001

Nome, Alaska, Aug. 19, 1922.

Allan R. Crawford, Commander,
Wrangel Island Expedition,

Dear Mr. Crawford:

The arrival of the schooner "Teddy Bear"
and her crew will evidence the fact that we have been
assisting Mr. Stefansson in sending the ship to bring
out your party.

Our first communication with Mr. Stefansson
was only a matter of a few days ago and since then we have
been negotiating with small schooners, and only a few days
ago signed a charter with Mr. Joe Bernard, of the schooner
"Teddy Bear".

Since informing Mr. Stefansson of our
action, he has requested us to send for the relief party
that spent the past winter on the Island. You will notice
from the attached correspondence that he is desirous of
one or more of your party remaining another season in
command of the expedition which we are sending. I am
sending you a complete file of the correspondence which
we have had. You will observe that there is a great deal
of latitude left to us, and we have exercised our best
judgment, and in some instances accepted the best that was
available. It is rather difficult to furnish supplies to
an expedition of this nature, not knowing what you might
have on hand. Those whom we are sending seem to have but
little of their own and it is necessary to furnish them
with rather complete outfits. We have aimed to keep down
the expense, but we hope that what we are sending, together
with what you have left, will be sufficient to make up a
good outfit.

It is our understanding that you have
with you a great deal of ammunition and plenty of guns.
If this is true, we are rather fortunate, as guns are a
scarce article in this camp at this time. Our men have
their own guns, and we have purchased ammunition, to make
certain that they would have ammunition to fit their guns.
We assume that you have a number of guns which you will
leave with your successors?