Transcribe Hornaday, W. T. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1879-02-24)

ybg Hong Kong. Feb 24th 1879. My dear Prof. Ward :

    I arriced here day - before

yesterday (Saturday), nine wretched days from Singapore, and the Pacific Mail Steamer </u City of Peking > leaves today for San Francisco, instead of March 1st as they told me in Singapore/ By good rights (to you) I ought to go on today by this vessel, but I have decided to remain here a fortnight and take the next steamer. Now that I am here, and in all probability will never be here again it would look like criminal indifference to go away without seeing any- thing at all of Chine. I ^will^ trust your gener- osity to hear me out in remaining a fort- night here and spending $50. of your money on my own account. Of course every item of expenditure comes out of my own pocket now - or will eventually, - and instead of counting it as so much paid on my salary, which we have agreed shall be in arrears, I will, if yoou wish, refund you the money I </s have > am spending for myself out of your Expedition funds. As I before remarked I shall go home