Transcribe Hornaday, W. T. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1876-02-25)

First came Mr Wm h. Gallie, Alas! I have my misgivings that he is a second Capt. Belt. He too has changed his base since corresponding with you, and now informs us positively that " the real home of the Manatee is much higher up the river than the delta, in fact some distance above Bolivar There you cannot fail to find them in great numbers. There are </u millions > of them there, and you can get all you want." Those were his very words to Mr Jackson & I, and my heart sank within me at the words "millions of them". Heaven forgive me if I do him injustice. He strongly advises us to take the steamer to Bolivar, and hire ^a^ boat or boats there & go on up the river. He offers us all the assistance in his power.

    We have seen the Capt. of the "Hero", also

his brother who lately made a trip up to Bolivar.. The latter gentleman I believe to be </u thoroughly > reliable in everything he says. He said that as they were coming down the river, and were about 100 miles below Barrancas, just a month ago, he saw a native on the river bank skinning a manatee, which his brother, the Capt., looked at with the glass & pronounced a large one.

    Tomorrow, an old wood-cutter who

lives in the Delta, and furnishes wood for the steamer the year round, is coming to see us, - he is away now, and will tell us all he knows about the manatee in the delta, the natives, &c, &e, If he comes in time, I will give you the result of our in- terview.

    Mr Gullie has in his office a large, dry