Transcribe Hornaday, W. T. Letter to the Ward, Henry A. (1878-12-22)

[ in your "Hundred: </s sun > a sum which you knew must [ have reached us by that date. You said you would send [ a 3rd remittance of 30 or 40 pounds. I take it you have [ on account off </s the > Australia made it 100.pounds instead, and [ now that is on the way. If sent Dec 6th for instance [ it will arrive here about Jan 15th by which time I [ will be all ready to send you a big shipment insured [ for $4000. pull up stakes & "lite out" for Maryborough [ Queensland. Will tell you all about steamer dates in my [ next. It will take </u every cent > of the money I can now [ command to get me away from here, and I fear, I </u greatly > [ fear it will take $150. to $200. out of the hundred [ pounds coming to in addition. In fact I doubt if I have more than enough here now to square up with M. D. & Co. I have bargained for at least $50. worth of specimens from Malacca & Keany, but I hope to goodness I will be disappointed of them. I'm going to give Mr. Campbell a fine Mias skull. and in case he refuses to charge me interest on the $300. he advanced me I shall feel in duty bound to give him a fair-sized mias skin or skeleton. But for his kindness I should have been utterly busted months ago & the Estab. would have cut a </u very > bad figure in this part of the world. I tell you I </u must > not try to run a day longer by trusting to luck & borrowed capital. We </s will > may do it once too often. Now it is </u certain > that I shall land in Australia with a very little money, perhaps not even $100. (the passage will cost $128. second class & </u there is no third! >) We are now fairly starting up the home stretch and so far we have led everything! One more good pull, a little more whip to both of us and we will come sweeping up to the grand Stand making such time and winning such a race as has never before been made </s in > on the scientific turf! (No extra charge, although "Entered according to Act of Congress.) Now if you can only coax another thousand out of somebody, even tho' it be 200 at a time we will be successful in Aus- tralia for 3 or 4 months and come home prepared to rake in the dollars for years to come. </u Don't forget > that I will land in Australia amongst total strangers with very little money indeed. I am </u very > sorry to be always