by R. L. S. and Lloyd O.
_The Pearl Fisher_, part done, lies in Sydney. It is _The Wrecker_ we
are now engaged upon: strange ways of life, I think, they set forth:
things that I can scarce touch upon, or even not at all, in my travel
book; and the yarns are good, I do believe. _The Pearl Fisher_ is for
the _New York Ledger_: the yarn is a kind of Monte Cristo one. _The
Wrecker_ is the least good as a story, I think; but the characters seem
to me good. _The Beachcombers_ is more sentimental. These three scarce
touch the outskirts of the life we have been viewing; a hot-bed of
strange characters and incidents: Lord, how different from Europe or the
Pallid States! Farewell. Heaven knows when this will get to you. I
burn to be in Sydney and have news.