... You will receive a lot of mostly very bad proofs of photographs:
the paper was so bad. Please keep them very private, as they are for the
book. We send them, having learned so dread a fear of the sea, that we
wish to put our eggs in different baskets. We have been thrice within
an ace of being ashore: we were lost (!) for about twelve hours in the
Low Archipelago, but by God's blessing had quiet weather all the time;
and once, in a squall, we cam' so near gaun heels ower hurdies, that I
really dinnae ken why we didnae a' thegither. Hence, as I say, a great
desire to put our eggs in different baskets, particularly on the Pacific
(aw-haw-haw) Pacific Ocean.
You can have no idea what a mean time we have had, owing to incidental
beastlinesses, nor what a glorious, owing to the intrinsic interest of
these isles. I hope the book will be a good one; nor do I really very
much doubt that—the stuff is so curious; what I wonder is, if the public
will rise to it. A copy of my journal, or as much of it as is made,
shall go to you also; it is, of course, quite imperfect, much being to
be added and corrected; but O, for the eggs in the different baskets.
All the rest are well enough, and all have enjoyed the cruise so far,
in spite of its drawbacks. We have had an awfae' time in some ways,
Mr. Baxter; and if I wasnae sic a verra patient man (when I ken that
I _have_ to be) there wad hae been a braw row; and ance if I hadnae
happened to be on deck about three in the marnin', I _think_ there
would have been _murder_ done. The American Mairchant Marine is a kent
service; ye'll have heard its praise, I'm thinkin'; an' if ye never did,
ye can get _Twa Years Before the Mast_, by Dana, whaur forbye a great
deal o' pleisure, ye'll get a' the needcessary information. Love to your
father and all the family.—Ever your affectionate friend,