Via Airmail 
November 13, 1953 
Dr. James H. Kempton 
c/o. American Embassy 
Caracas, Venezuela 
Dear Jim: 
A week ago I prepared a letter to you relative to my plans but then 
some uncertainty as to schedule developed and it was necessary to hold 
the letter until I had firm information. In the meantime I was under 
necessity of spending most of this week at the fall meetings of the 
National Academy of Sciences in Cambridge, Mass. 
I am pleased to write that I now have steamer passage on the Grace 
Line ss. SANTA ROSA, sailing from New York Thursday, December 17. This 
will bring me down a little earlier than I had anticipated originally. 
For reasons that I will explain to you a little latter, I will need to 
spend Christmas in Cura 9 ao where the steamer touches before it goes to 
La Guaira, and will then cross to Venezuela by air, presumably on Satur¬ 
day, December 26 . I am bringing down my field equipment by boat and 
will have it with me as air freight when I cross by plane to Maiquetfa. 
The gun will be packed in a footlocker with field clothing, etc. 
As Home Secretary of the National Academy of Sciences I still have 
to clear up various details concerned with the autumn meeting which has 
just closed, but I am now down to a point where I can plan the final 
details for the trip with you and for the collecting expedition that I 
expect to make into Chiriqul when we are through in Venezuela. 
Not much else in the way of news at the moment. I expect to write 
you a little later with more details. 
Sincerely yours. 
A. Wetmore 
Research Associate 
