Transcribe Hornaday, W. T. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1877-09-22)

getting it. But it is nothing serious atall [sic], only very [underscored:] annoying [/underscore] to one who is after elephants. I hope my few days in the plains will also help me to escape hereafter.

Theobald advises me right square out not to try to prepare the skin of an el. in the jungle as I will have to do, for he thinks it can't be done under so many disadvantages as I will have to labor under. But I will [underscored:] try. [/underscore] We will have two more skeletons [underscored:] anyhow [/underscore].

I do not think it will be best to ship off directly what specimens I have, for reasons that I have not space to detail. In another month, or [underscored:] two [/underscore] months at the very most this campaign will be at an end and then I will ship everything. I [underscored:] must [/underscore] be in Madras when they go. Did you send the £80. to care of Lee, Hedges & Co., or in an ordinary registered letter? It was "3 weeks" before your letter, but I have no news of it. Have written L. H. & Co.. to forward if they get it. In the meantime Mr. Theobald helps me along with funds until I can realize.

You will have to judge for yourself whether this Expedition is a success or not. Pray tell me, how can you tell whether or not "so far the Ex. has not paid cost" when you have not sold [underscored:] anything [/underscore] from it? It seems to me that before you were unable to get certain Indian specimens, that I have procured for you, at [underscored:] any [/underscore] price, Gavials for instance. So why compute things at the prices you [underscored:] offered [/underscore] to buy them at, but couldn't? Dawson [underscored:] offers [/underscore] elephant skins & skels at £30 & £25, but he couldn't furnish [underscored:] either [/underscore] at any price. He has no place to kill the specimens, & not energy or practise enough to prepare such big things even when killed. I never said to advance him anything. Does