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

Mr Gallie says it would be at a considerable risk on account of the war in Venezuela now. And even if we could take a boat from here i would prefer the plan we have de- cided upon, which is as follows: We will go up to Bolivar, hire a bungalow there and in 14 or 16 hours with a fair wind will sail up to where Mr Gallie says the manatees are. Stone village is the spot, and he allows us three days to get what manatee we want. Then we will come down again in two days, and either go on the steamer or in a small boat down the </u Banancas, where we will stop, collect in the country around, use a letter of introduction that Mr. G will give us whereby we will be able to hire any kind of a boat and man or men we want, and go on down, collecting on the shore as we please and finally into the delta, There we will cruise around and collect as best we can, and when we are done land at the wood- yard and let the steamer pick us up ^there^ on her way down the river, sending the boat back up to Bonaueas. Or if we see fit we can go back up to the latter place, and get on the steamed there. Although it is not a port of entry Mr Gallie will make arrange= ments with their agent, and the government officers so that we will be allowed to leave from that point. A great deal depends on circumstances, of course. We will take </u all > our supplies from here, a barrel of salt, a barrel of hard bread, a label, for manatee skins, a barrrel & alcohol </s of > for alcoholics, and in short </u every thing > we will require save a boat.