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together all day and he continually talked about the North. I think (if
possible) he wants to get back up there as bad as I do. No doubt he has told
you all this.... He continually talks Wrangell Island."

In order to camouflage our real plans, we hinted had been hinting at commercial
development when it was necessary to talk for publication at all. On July 2nd
Knight wrote again from McMinnville: "All the papers on the Coast have printed
articles concerning your commercial enterprise. The Portland Telegram perpetrated
an awful poor pun when they said, 'Stefansson’s northern enterprise should cut
some ice.' I hope I have a chance to show them what kind of ice we will cut."

On August 16th the party were assembling in Seattle and Knight
wrote me: "Maurer arrived this A.M., all grins. He seems to be happy. We all
are, for that matter, and aching to get started."

The four boys party made the nine-day voyage from Seattle, Washington,
to Nome, Alaska, by passenger steamer. On September 4th, Knight wrote from
Nome: "We are having a nice, easy time at your expense but I would rather be
far out on the 'bounding sea' bound for the place that we are bound for."