Transcribe Hornaday, W. T. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1877-08-04)

Dear Prof Ward: I had determined not to write you until I had a change of luck, but I will write on other matters and say nothing about my luck, only that I am contending against odds for elephants, and circumstances have not yet overpowered me. But its a hard fight. I have your letters of June 4th and May 18, together. I wrote you in a previous letter; unless I made a great blunder in failing to do so - that I told Mr. Will Rutledge you would write him what you could give him for Platyanista skeletons and skins of certain lengths, and that you would tell him how to prepare them. I am sure I wrote you that in my last Calcutta letter (mailed at Madres), although I might have forgotten it. If so it was a very unpardonable piece of forgetfulness. My Calcutta boxes will reach you during this month, and I would like a full report on the condition in which they arrive. I think they will be pretty free from dermestes, and slip rats too. I packed the 2 best Orang skins and 1 Skel in a box as tight as a coffin. I beg to remind you that it now by your direct that I slipped direct by sailing vessel from Calcutta, thought I should have done so anyhow if left to my own judgement. The difference in freight (and commission +c ) was about $60. at the lowest. Sykes and Co are our agents in Calcutta, and Mr. Rutledge desires to transact bruisers, - money, shipping, +c- through them. I gave them 4 or 5 labels of each kind. The Sheffield knives as a lot, work well,