Transcribe Ward, Henry A. Letter to Orton, James (1855-04-17)

[another hand - 311] </u Cairo > April 17th '55 Dear Orton,

   I am just leaving town

but improve a few moments by writing you a few lines. I wrote you, about last Christmas telling you why I was upon the </u Nile > . Since that time I have followed the river nearly 1000 miles south to the 2d cataract, about 200 miles into </u Nubia > & the torrid zones I have of course seen all the dead art & living nature which I could, & have been favored with good health & a prosperous journey in every respect. When near "S'zene" I passed a <.u Dohabich > in which were Charlie Stoddard, Bennet & Arthus Mitchell of Williams College. I saw the two former for about 1/2 an hour, & I assure you, the meeting was pleasant. They are now I suppose just finishing Syria. We start for there tomorrow. We go first to Jerusalem by what is called the </u long desert >. which occupies 40 days by camels. We go first to Suez, from there down the </u Red > Sea on the east coast to [Tor]. from there N. east to Mt. Sinai from there N. east to </u Skoba, . on the eastern fork of the Red Sea, from there north to </u Petra > (Mt. Hor) from there N. west to Jerusalem. We then, if alive & well, go all through Syria & sail from Bezout for Constantinople or some other European port. I enjoy the trip very much & upon the Nile have found the timely no means lost for study. We are hoping to make large collections of shells & coral