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During the time when affairs at the East prevented Col. Bulkley's forming any final plans every one of course had to wait inactively for orders.  This seems to have been to much for the boys who had I concluded at various times pretty much made up their minds, that the whole Telegraph-Exp'n was a mith.  I could not of course tell them what I knew of the real circumstances, but could only bid them wait patiently.-

Boys are rather failures, when one attempts to do men's work with them.  Chas. Pease gets on pretty well & is more patient than I would have expected.  Poor old Bischoff howls at waisted hours  Dall who somewhat better appreciates the grand prospect ahead is moderatly quiet.-

I have chosen of good men including Chas. Pease for my Youkon - Expd. the others needed will be supplied from the general recruits.  I cannot say to-day when we start, but we will announce it to you by Telegram.  For the purposes of the Company I cannot help thinking that I ought to have been sent off as first proposed, early in May, but when that plan was given up, I supposed the Colonel, expected to sail long before this time.

As it is, I cannot conceive anything better (barring the delay) than the present arrangements for Natural History.- Col. Bulkley establishes a regular Scientific - Department [[strikethrough]] For [[/strikethrough]]  of the Expd., and places me at the head of it, with not only permission but even formal orders, to make and have made, as thourough