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little of human nature and nothing of the history of arctic exploration. Apart
from a few unrelieved tragedies, such as that of the Greely expedition, for instance,
the most difficult arctic experiences have seldom diminished the enthusiasm of
those who took part in them. For one thing, the participants ^could always see after-
wards how easily trouble might have been avoided and were eager to try again,
feeling taht their improved knowledge would enable them to meet easily what had
previously been insoluable difficulties.

Immediately on landing, ^{the party, as previously related,} the party did a very natural thing but one
that was politically unwise. They erected a flagpole, hoisted the Union jack,
and ceremonially reaffirmed possession of Wrangell Island. while Captain Hamar
and his schooner were still lying at anchor. This ceremony, of course, had no
legal importantce, the whole force of the Wrangell Island undertaking being in
the character and permanence of the occupation itself.

But Captain Hamar and his crew were much perturbed. To them the
flag-raising was symbolic. They realized now how Wrangell Island had been
lying for decades under the very noses of the Alaskans who understood mroe or
less of its potential value but who had never done anything about it. Now they
felt outwitted, and that feeling spread rapidly over western Alaska when the
Silver Wave returned to Nome. Eventually it got to Washington in the form of
some sort of protest to the United States Government. This again would have
done no harm but for the ensuing newspaper publicity. The Washington Government
knew very well that the flag-raising had no significance, but ti was something
over which the yellow journals could easily excite their readers. The British
claim to Wrangell Island mgiht be ever so clear; but the garrulous editors, who
really or ostensibly thought it was an American island, managed to stir up a good
deal of hard feeling, not between the governements of the two countries but
between certain of the citizens of both.

The diary shows the greatest satisfaction with Wrangell Island.