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

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Hornaday Orient Expedition_1878_12_22_k.jpg

holding up my past, present & future necessities to your
gaze. Always talking about the amount of money I
need when you are always struggling to send me more.
But what else can a fellow do? I have scratched along
on credit pretty well so far, & have had my share of an-
noyances & mortifications I assure you. I have borrowed
money of strangers 4 times within the last 4 months. But
in Australia , for I will be wholly un-
known. And you ^know^ when I have worked up an excitement for
any particular thing & get down to my last 20 pounds, I 
stop and simply eat & sleep until money comes. So send
something more to wherever you have directed me to
go. Maryborough I suppose. I hope I won't have to go a-cha-
sing after the unless I can be of getting a
good number, and I fear trouble on account of Platypus too.
And what if I should get there & find the dugong fishery
all gone to pot. & no more dugongs being caught anywhere.
or perhaps find I had arrived at the wrong season
for them. What a sell it would be! But we will hope
for the best anyhow.
P..P.S. Dec 27th I have settled with Martin Dyer & Co. &
the items were as follows: 
Dr.
Cash paid me for Borneo $300. By 50 pounds draft. @ Ex 3/7 1/4 = $ 277.48
 " " " here 100. " 40 pounds " " " 3/7 = 223.25
Telegram 23. ________
Charges in Shipment to N.Y. 22.30 $500.70
Cash pd on pks of primers 1.37
 (Rodela & Co.)
Bal. paid to me 54.13
 ______
 500.70

So you see after all my debts are paid, my hunter discharged
& board paid to date I have about $50. in pocket this mo-
ment. I have yet to settle with Everett and my China boy when I
go away, You see Mr. Campbell (who owns the house of M.D. &
Co. here value at 10,000+ pounds) utterly refused to charge me any
interest on commission or anything although I rather pressed
him to do so. Then I found he wanted a Mias skull, and
I forthwith offered him a fine skeleton, & insisted on his re-
ceiving it. But he good humoredly declined the skeleton saying
that really he did not care for it, but would be glad of a
good skull. So I shall today take him the finest skull

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  "       "        "   here              100.                       "    40 pounds    "     "    "   3/7       =   223.25

Telegram 23. ________ Charges in Shipment to N.Y. 22.30 $500.70 Cash pd on pks of primers 1.37

        (Rodela & Co.)

Bal. paid to me 54.13

                                            ______
                                           500.70

So you see after all my debts are paid, my hunter discharged & board paid to date I have about $50. in pocket this mo- ment. I have yet to settle with Everett and my China boy when I go away, You see Mr. Campbell (who owns the house of M.D. & Co. here value at 10,000+ pounds) utterly refused to charge me any interest on commission or anything although I rather pressed him to do so. Then I found he wanted a Mias skull, and I forthwith offered him a fine skeleton, & insisted on his re- ceiving it. But he good humoredly declined the skeleton saying that really he did not care for it, but would be glad of a good skull. So I shall today take him the finest skull