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[[underline]] Dup. of lst draft [[/underline]] 

Dear Mr. Graf,

In accordance with your letter of instructions of March 28th, I proceeded by airplane to Balboa, Canal Zone, to join the U.S.S. Mallard.
 
This mode of travel permitted [[strikethrough]]on  [[/strikethrough]] a maximum of only 55 pounds of baggage, and so I was able to take with me only the barest necessities for the trip. Also, the short notice that I had did not give me time to make more than the briefest telegraphic arrangements for certain supplies that I felt were necessary for the expedition--chiefly preservative, [[strikethrough]] bottles, and ?? [[/strikethrough]] bottles for specimens, and photographic film.

I arrived in Balboa at 5 p.m. and boarded the MALLARD for an eight o'clock departure. On our way to the Galapagos we spent the forenoon of April 2nd off Malpelo Island, Colombia. April 4th we refueled at Santa Elena, Ecuador, leaving the next morning for the Islands.

Our first landfall was Freshwater Bay, Chatham Island. Here is found the one permanent freshwater supply in all the Islands. Samples of the water were obtained and submitted to brief chemical and bacteriolocigal analyses. Copies of the doctor's report and the engineer's tests are appended. 

Working around to Wreck Bay, the port of entry, on April 7th, courtesies were exchanged with the officials there. The forenoon of the next day was spent at Academy Bay, on Indefatigable Island. Here two brackish springs were examined and tested for salinity. As this is the island in which we were most interested, I endeavored to obtain