stefansson-wrangel-09-38-006-001

MEMORANDUM ON WRANGEL ISLAND

from

VILHJALMUR STEFAHSSON.

History.

On the cruise of H.M.S."Herald", Captain
Kellett,R.H.,two lands were sighted and landing
made on one of them from which the other is in
plain sight. The one landed on was named Herald
Island, after the ship, the other Kellett's Land,
after the Captain. They so remained on all maps
for many years.

The second sighting of these lands was by
Captain Long, an American whaler, in 1867 or 1869
(dates variously given). Apparently unaware of
previous discovery, he later suggested the name of
Wrangel Land, after Baron von Wrangel, a Swede in
Russian service, who had explored by sledge off the
mouth of the Kolyma between 1821 and 1824 but had
found no land (see his book published in England
about 1825). Map-makers generally continued to
use the name of Kellett.

The first known landing by any human beings
was the American naval ship "Corwin", 1881. She
remained about six hours. A little later the same
season came the American "Rogers", remained for
nineteen days and mapped the Island, and raised the
United states flag. Apparently chiefly to emphasise
the cancellation of previous British rights, the
name of Kellett Land was discarded and that of

1.