Transcribe Hornaday, W. T. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1876-03-06)

                                      5         Mar. 6, 1876

against time. The boss at the landing wanted 10s for a cwt of pitch from the huge pile on the dock, and said it never left the island for less, but all I can say is, that we didn't pay any 10s for our 120 lbs. The rest is silence! We started home on the same boat at half past two o'clock, and it turned out that the trip is going to pay big for I made the acquaintance of a man who got on at San Fernando that has been a surveyor and engineer </s and surveyor > in British Guiana, and he told me, as soon as I informed him of my business and our intention to go to Demerara, right where he had seen three Manatee in a creek down there, and that too before I even mentioned that animal to him. He put us on a good track, gave much valuable information, and told us where, how, and to </u whom > to go to be successful. He lent me a book on British Guiana that is very interesting.

    I also found where we can obtain armadillos

on this island, and will get some if we do not get all we want easier up the Orinoco.

    We leave settled on our plan of operations

up the Orinoco, and leave here for Crandad Bolivar next Friday night, the 10th, on the steamer "Nutris", taking deck passage at $12. each. We are obliged to go to Bolivar for no place below that is a port of entry. We cannot take our own boat from here and go on our own hook unless we go to Bolivar. We <,/u could > cruise around in the delta without, but