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pleasant but inefficient officer,whose chief point is his conceit and jealousy of any doubt or question with regard to his rank and authority. He is considered the handsome man of the Expedition. He acted as purchasing agent, in connection with Wright and Chappel. The steamer was rebuilt almost, under the superintendance of Covert and the Col. [[double underline]] not [[/double underline]] on accordance with Capt. Scammons plans; at an outlay of some fifty thousand dollars--! The Colonels brother-in-law, Mr Palmer came out. I do not know what his office will be. T.W. Knox, correspondent of the N.Y. Herald came out to go over to Siberia with us and so round to St. Petersburgh. A "gentleman of the bedchamber." of Russia was sent out as commissioner by the Russian Government. His name is Anassof and he is intended to report everything done by the Company directly to the government. He is very pleasant and gentlemanly, but too nervous, frank and excitable to be a good spy. He will not visit the American side this year. Lastly one of the directors Mr. Mumford, an excellent business man, very energetic, perhaps a little too much so for comfort, but well disposed toward the Scientific work, and superior