Transcribe Hornaday, W. T. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1878-08-30)

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Hornaday Orient Expedition_1878_08_30_d.jpg

ning & skeletonizing orangs. Of course we finished the
three nicely, & the day following we started to return. 
you believe when I tell you that we killed three more
orangs that day, besides catching a young one alive? We
did just that, and very easily too. The first one I shot
dead without getting out of the boat. Then we found two
old ones & a young one feeding together, the old ones died to
quick music & the young one fell into the water with its
mother, so that we secured it. Then we started for home
& putting on all steam we came down with the current fair-
ly flying. We wanted to get home & to a good comfortable
skinning place. We reached home before daylight of the
day following, and after a little </s ? & > gin & suooze all
round got up with the crows & went to work on the three
dead orangs. The little one was out of sorts & seemed de-
termined to bite as ^many^ pieces out of me as possible; It left one scar
pn my arm which I </us said I > ^determined^ would carry with me to its
grave (And I did.)
 We were working away as gaily as possible when about
9 A. M. there was a shout from my men at work under the
house, and the Chinamen turned the corner with a fine
dead orang slung on a pole between them. I said, "There's 
luck!" paid the money and joyfully nipped up the orang.
At 10 A. M. there was another shout, and louder, and a
party of Dyaks came panting up with orang, and
a little bigger! I said "Glorious! Five Orangs to skin in one
day. Was there such luck!" And I paid more money
& measured the orang. About noon there was a perfect
yell, a regular war-whoop & shouting & laughing by the
men under the house & all about & may I never see Ward's
Museum again if a party of Malays didn't stagger up with
the biggest orang of all! It fairly rained orangs and we
could scarcely believe our senses. Six dead orangs in one day!
Just then the little one became so carried away with the
excitement that , which made - 
 "Seven in all." she said.
 And wondering lookt at me"
Yes, we seven for a fact. The oldest inhabitant had
never of such a thing before, and the villagers
came & stared with open mouths. Didn't I tell you

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    We were working away as gaily as possible when about

9 A. M. there was a shout from my men at work under the house, and the Chinamen turned the corner with a fine dead orang slung on a pole between them. I said, "There's luck!" paid the money and joyfully nipped up the orang. At 10 A. M. there was another shout, and louder, and a party of Dyaks came panting up with orang, and a little bigger! I said "Glorious! Five Orangs to skin in one day. Was there such luck!" And I paid more money & measured the orang. About noon there was a perfect yell, a regular war-whoop & shouting & laughing by the men under the house & all about & may I never see Ward's Museum again if a party of Malays didn't stagger up with the biggest orang of all! It fairly rained orangs and we could scarcely believe our senses. Six dead orangs in one day! Just then the little one became so carried away with the excitement that , which made -

      "Seven in all." she said.
       And wondering lookt at me"

Yes, we seven for a fact. The oldest inhabitant had never of such a thing before, and the villagers came & stared with open mouths. Didn't I tell you