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reconnaissance of all suitable places in the Islands be undertaken at an early opportunity jointly with a representative to be designated by the Ecuadorian government.  The most practical method for carrying out this recommendation would be to enlist the aid of a suitably equipped naval vessel from the Canal Zone, the nearest available United States base where such ships can be obtained.  Whatever vessel is secured for the purpose would take the designated Ecuadorian and United States representatives to the islands and places to be investigated, or else would set them down in the Islands with a suitable power tender and all equipment necessary to properly carry on the reconnaissance.

In view of the known rough terrain characteristic of the islands of the archipelago as a whole and the fact that the survey is to be made as searching and complete as possible, it is hoped that the Ecuadorian government will approve the use of an airplane to guide the ground parties to desired objectives, the principal one of which would be apparent water supplies, and for the purpose of taking such photographs as may be needed to make a visual record of the reconnaissance.

Given the consent of the Ecuadorian government to the foregoing proposals, the Smithsonian will, at the earliest practicable date, dispatch [[margin]]^[[?]][[/margin]] its representative [[circled]] to Quito [[/circled]] to confer with the Ecuadorian government officials and to meet the designated Ecuadorian representative for the purpose of accompanying him to Panama to join the vessel that will be made available for the reconnaissance.  The expenses of the transporation of the Ecuadorian representative to and from Quito and the Galapagos Islands will be borne by the Smithsonian Institution.