IN THE EAST INDIES. 169 
the whole year there and we would really hardly get 
our money’s worth, although the trip is cheap. The Rus- 
sells go to Woo Chow or expect to; so I think we may 
take a trip on the West river above Canton for a week 
or two. Then Shanghai, Japan and San Francisco 
about July 1st or, if we go to Pekin, perhaps a fort- 
night later. As you suggest, we shall want to spend 
a little while in California and although it is summer 
it will not be too hot for us. I was pleased to hear 
about what Sir Purdon Clark said. New Guinea was 
and shall always be looked back upon as the crowning 
treat of the whole trip; it is needless to say that I am 
' proud that it turned out so to our pleasure when so 
many had advised against it, even including Mr. 
Agassiz. The guns I sent back from Java to the 
museum; the shotgun I carried continually and used 
in the woods every day; fine luck I had, as the one 
hundred and sixty or more fine bird skins will tell 
you when you come to the museum in Cambridge next 
fall and see the exhibit we will arrange for your edifi- 
eation. We have a fine collection of spears, bows and 
arrows, idols, shields, ete., which will make quite a 
show; I think you will be duly impressed. I cannot 
help boasting that the curios from New Guinea were 
obtained at the rate of approximately half a cent each 
of tobacco. I am only sorry that a really fine bowl, 
carved from a section of a large tree had to be left in 
Java because I had not time or space to pack it. We 
secured a very good Chinese servant in Singapore 
some time ago. I suppose I wrote you about it. I 
brought him here; it costs only a few dollars to take 
him about as a deck passenger on the steamer and he 
is very honest, clean and neat. He does many odd 
