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^[[Copy of second statement prepared for [[?]] mission to State Dept.]]

June 4, 1941

Mr. J. E. Graf
Associate Director
U. S. National Museum

Dear Mr. Graf:

With this I give you a brief summary of my recent trip to the Galapagos Islands for the purpose of checking up on the several points raised in earlier discussions of possible sites for the proposed laboratory. What I accomplished was wholly due to the hearty cooperation given by the Navy Department.  I wish particularly to bring to your attention the exceptional courtesy and helpfulness of Captain S. Picking, commander of the squadron of four submarines and tender, the U.S.S. MALLARD, on which I went to the Islands.  I have nothing but the highest praise for Captain Picking and the Navy personnel of that expedition, and I hope that their great service to us may be brought to the attention of the proper authorities in the Navy Department.
     
I visited Freshwater and Wreck Bays, Chatham Island, and Academy Bay, Indefatigable Island; rather completely explored South Seymour Island; spent the better part of four days, April 12-16, at Conway Bay, Indefatigable Island; and examined the shores of James Island from James Bay to some distance eastward.  We also entered the port of Villamil, a very difficult landing, and saw something of Foster Cove, Elizabeth Bay, which the Navy had under consideration for possible future development as an airplane and submarine base.

Although Conway Bay had figured in our earlier discussions as a very likely site, one recommended to me by Captain Picking affords a much more favorable location. This latter site is near the western end of the south shore of South Seymour Island, fronting Indefatigable Island. It is just about as centrally located as Conway Bay, being only fourteen miles removed from it, and offers even better protection for small boats. Between South Seymour and Indefatigable is a comparatively narrow channel which, by virtue of reefs or a chain of islets and shoals across each end, has been transformed into a wonderfully well protected, landlocked basin, entirely free of swells. The water is so quiet here that one can anchor alongside of the rocky shore (see photo by Captain Picking herewith). A small dock, however, would be more convenient. Through either reef there is an opening sufficiently large for the passage of fairly good-sized vessels, even thought the maximum depth at mean low water is only 2-1/4 fathoms.

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