stefansson-wrangel-09-08-019-002

The Hon, J. H. King. -2- April 25th, 1922

You are familiar with the facts as to the discovery
and exploration of Wrangel Island. Captain Kellett of the
British Navy discovered it in 1849 and it was named Kellett
Land on the charts. Under international law this gave the
British a claim to Wrangle Island for five years but that
claim lapsed in 1854 when up to that time the British had
given no indication that they would follow up the discovery
by occupation.

Wrangel Island was sighted by Captain Long of the
American whaling fleet in 1869. This mere sighting of an
island already discovered gave rise under international law
to no claims on behalf of any country. Captain Long’s
voyage is interesting chiefly through a slip he made in an-
nouncing that he had discovered a land which really was then
known to exist. I think it was in this connection that he
suggested the place should be called Wrangel Island, in hon-
our of the Russian explorer, Baron Wrangel, who in the third
decade of the 19th century had heard rumours of an undis-
covered land to the north of Siberia but had failed to find
it.

The summer of 1881 two American ships landed on
Wrangel Island, the "Corwin" for a few hours, and the "Rodgers"
for two or three weeks. The "Rodgers" made a map of the
island which, like the previous British claim, would have
led to permanent ownership if followed up within five years.
Like the British earlier, the Americans showed no sign of in-
terest in Wrangel Island and, accordingly, that claim lapsed
in 1886.

From this time on no one is known to have landed
upon the island although whaling ships sailed within sight
of it occasionally. The first landing subsequent to '81
was made by the officers and crew of the Canadian Government
ship "Karluk", of Mr. Stefansson's 1913-1918 expedition.
They landed in February, 1914, and remained until September.
On July 1st, 1914, they formally raised the British flag
and re-asserted British rights to the island.

Mr. Stefansson’s men left Wrangle Island in Septem-
ber, 1914, and the British claim based on that occupation and
re-assertion of possession lapsed according to the above
cited principle of international law in September, 1919.

Meantime, Mr. Stefansson had been conducting in
Canada a campaign to arouse Canadians to the idea that the