Transcribe Haast, Sir John Francis Julius Von. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1876-08-24)

[another hand -Haast J. Oct.7 ' 76 & Feb. 28' 77 Aug, 1876]

                         Canterbury Museum,
                                          Christchurch, N.Z.
                                                 Aug 24th 1876

My Dear Sir

  I wrote to you on May 31 & have in all

had the pleasure to receive your wel- come letter of April 8th. I would have written sooner had I not been ill for some time, I can now answer to you that both your last collections have arrived in splendid order & [same] very welcome, being at the same time quite satisfied with them. The Grizzly bear is really a magnificent specimen so would form an ornament to any Museum in the world. I have tried all those Museums in New Zealand which have any means but in vain with your giraffe skin & I have written once to Australia to some of my friends, but I fear they