144 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE 



But before I go into details about my sojourn here, I 

 must thank you most heartily for the great pleasure 

 which your letter No. 7, of July 19th has afforded me. I 

 cried like a child when Capt. Meyer brought it to me in 

 the afternoon of the 30th of October. Since then I have 

 always carried it around in my pocket; I read it daily, 

 at least once until I know it by heart. 



It quiets, it pleases me greatly that you all have kept 

 well, especially that the health of my dear Mary is im- 

 proving. May Providence grant that she recover com- 

 pletely and that I may not be able to recognize on my 

 return in later years, in the healthy, robust " Madam 

 Moritz" the pale, delicate girl I left— my sister— my 

 darling sister, she will remain forever! The letter, which 

 bore on the outside a greeting from Louis Dubois, Ham- 

 burg, August 12th, I received through Franz Hallmann, 

 to whom it had been sent by Wachowski from Santiago. 

 Thus may the delay be explained, as it has made the 

 voyage from here to the capital and back. As you know, 

 we are here since the 22d of October, during which time 

 I have uninterruptedly boarded and roomed on board. 

 As Capt. Meyer has kindly offered free use of his boat 

 to the passengers, in order to ferry us ashore and back 

 as often as we desired to make use of it, I have had little 

 chance of spending money, though I quite often strolled 

 round on shore a whole day at a time. If we had not 

 had the use of the boat I would probably have been able 

 to take but few trips ashore, as the ferrying across is a 

 very costly operation ; if one has to depend upon the lit- 

 tle ferry boats, which are rowing around the harbor 

 for that purpose; each of such trips costs two reales 

 (10 Silbergroschen), back and forth, therefore more than 

 20 Slbgr. in Prussian money. All other prices here are 

 in proportion. In the eating houses no smaller coin than 

 a real is known. A glass of ordinary Chilean wine, a 

 cup of tea, chocolate or coffee, a glass of cognac-punch, 

 yes, even a glass of ordinary corn brandy costs one real 

 (5 Slbgr.). If one wants to have a somewhat respectable 

 meal, one is compelled to pay at least three reales. A 



