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and become ready to ta ke this one over. Since the Canadian
Government in spite of my arguments had decided to wait at
least until 1922, we did not take even them into our
confidence but arranged the expedition so secretly that not
even the partents of the men who were going knew exactly where
they would go, or received any inkling of the political
nature of the enterprise.

Four young men went by passenger steamer from Seattle to
Nome, Alaska, 500 miles SE from Wrangell Island. Here they
gave out only vague hints which, according to the temperament
of a gold mining ca mp, created the impression tha t they
were in search of gold somewhere eastward. The schooner
"Silver Wave" was charted and the four men with some
Eskimos were landed in Wrangell Island in middle September 1921,
the schooner reaturning immediately to Nome.

My arrangement with the members of the expedition was
that a supply ship should be sent up in 1922, bringing also
new men to increase the party and to take back any who might
care to come out. Since I had no yet convinced the
Canadian Government of the value of the island, of at
least of the propriety of incorporating it in Canada, I had
to raise the money privately for this proposed supply ship.
I had difficulty in borrowing the money and it was consequently
a month past the ideal navigation period when our supply ship
sailed. In nineteen years out of twenty even the late sailing
date would have occasioned no trouble, but this year was the