SI Bredin Exp.— Society Ids. 
November 1, 1956 
AIR LETTER 
Mr. Lewis M. White 
American Consul 
Noumea , New Caledonia 
Dear Mr. Mutes 
Too often we fail to let the State Department know in 
time regarding expeditions we have in progress. This time 
our Registrar made inquiries at “headquarters’* and there was 
given your name. 
The Smithsonian is sponsoring a six-weeks investigation 
of the marine fauna of the Society Islands this coming spring. 
We hope to make some collections of seashore life, but possibly 
we shall also bring along a botanist for a study of the" plant 
life of the higher parts of the high islands. The personnel 
of our party of five has not yet been fully determined although 
passage has already been engaged on the MARIPOSA leaving San 
Francisco on March 23rd, On arrival in Papeete we expect to be 
able to move aboard the Yacht MAREVA belonging to Mr, James 
McConn&ughey of Dayton, Ohio, who is making this motor-sailer 
available to the Institution, This obviates the necessity of 
writing to you for a charter yacht as I had first intended. 
Do you travel to Tahiti on business on occasion? As much 
as I would like to see New Caledonia, that trip will have to 
go over to another year as our time in the Society Islands 
will be altogether too short as it is. Please consider this 
313 interim letter. As we get nearer to our departure date, 
a shall write you more in detail regarding our plans. 
Sincerely, 
Waldo L. Schmitt 
Head Curator 
Department of Zoology 
MLS j eek 
