Transcribe Hornaday, W. T. Letter to Ward, H. A. (1876-04-01)

nwh Cuidad Bolivia, Ven. S. A. Saturday, April 1st 1876 Dear Prof. Ward:

       Your kind letter of Feb 15th came on

the steamer last Wednesday, and we were very glad to hear from you in particular. You must have my Barbabos & Trinidad letters by this time as I have written you by every mail. We have finished here, and leave tomorrow, going on the steamer s far as Barraneas - 140 miles below - where Mr Silver and his his boat will be ready for us. I think I may say we have been reasonably successful here, we certainly have for the locality, and I am sure

we did well to in remaining here. But the people

here told the truth when they said there were no mammals in this neighborhood, sorry to say. We have spent several days hunting crocodiles, and captured four large ones, i. e. over ten feet long. But it was the hardest of work to kill them, they are so very wary,

       Have 2  large turtles s you will see by the

list. They are much like the "Terrakija", but four or five times as large. They are apparently big Emys, and will make fine looking skeletons. These came from far up the river and are the only ones that have ben brought here since we cme. We have "ordered" manatee far and wide up and down the river of fishermen , and Indians, but none have been killed as yet. My hope is the delta, and we will unite every effort to raise them there inside the next month. I hope for great things now. The delta must pan out. We are going first to a place that is merely a name almost called Sacupaua, on the main river about