Transcribe Hornaday, W. T. Letter to the Ward, Henry A. (1878-10-21)

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No. 26                            Sadong River. K. Borneo

Oct.'78. Oct 21st 1878. Dear Professor Ward: Jan 10 '79

    I have just returned from a fortnights stay

up at the head of the river, and find here yours of Aug 14. from St Louis. As it seems clear that I must vegetate in the Jungles until friends arrive in December. tomorrow I am going to Sarawak for a fresh supply of provisions, ingredients for a batch of arsenical soap, and so fourth. I could leave the island now without much regret and would prob- ably do so if funds were at hand. </u Perhaps > I can hold out with what money I have until more comes and I </u hope > that my telegram of Sept. 20th will have caused you to send me more funds earlier than you otherwise would leave done. - i.e. always providing it were possible. Borneo is proving to be a regular bonanza to us and there is not the slightest doubt that bread cast upon these waters will return 40, 60, or 600 fold. I always had great hopes for this place. In fact </u "I told you so !" although I must say that our success with Mias has far, far exceeding anything I ever dreamed of. Owing to that letter from Sarawak requesting me to "desist" from killing or buying mias I stopped a month ago, but the writer of the letter has written (in answer to my reply) apologizing very handsomely for his former letter. I thought I would fetch him to his senses. Now the road is clear again, but I am going elsewhere for Mias for all that.

    I have not time to overhaul my collection now to make

out a list of specimens, as I must hurry off to Sarawak, but by next mail (i.e. about two days hence) I will send list for Sept & Oct, and Expense a/c. I might mention the fact that I now have 38 Orangs, 4 </u fine > rhinoceros, hornbills (skins), a skin of </u Hylobates lav > or maybe it is </u hoolock.); Suo barbotus, skin: about 10 skins & 4 skels. of Proboscus monkey, all of the largest size; a new variety (if not </u species ) of </u Lemur > (stenops)! several tiger & civet cats, a number of bird skins &c &e I am making an exhaustive collection of the reptiles & ^fresh water^ fishes in the hope that many of them are undescribed as yet. I am told no one has ever done anything with either the