Return to Victoria, B.C. 
greatest care, managed to soak them apart, and 
to develop about sixteen dozen of them, for 
which I was very grateful. Unfortunately the 
damaged plates were mostly of the white sheep 
and moose, those I valued most, but I was lucky 
to save any at all under the circumstances. 
The steamer was four days overdue, which 
was a blessing, for I could not have got my skins 
dried out at all had she been up to time. I 
bought an excellent ‘30-40 Winchester rifle 
from Matson before we parted, which I used in 
British Columbia later on. I gave him several 
small things as mementoes, for he absolutely 
refused to accept payment in any shape or form 
for all his kindnesses to me. There a man is 
taken for what he is, a millionaire could not buy 
these men’s help. It is the only place I have 
ever been in where neither money, birth, nor posi- 
tion counted for anything. 
On the arrival of the Bertha, I got my belong- 
ings on board, and so soon as possible hung up 
my sheepskins and moose hide on the back stays, 
to enable them to dry out thoroughly. I was 
most fortunate in the weather, which continued 
fine and bright for four days, otherwise it is 
certain some of the hair of the moose and sheep 
hides would have slipped. As it was I got them 
down to Victoria in good condition, where they 
were thoroughly well looked after by Mr. Fannin, 
the curator of the museum, who was delighted 
281 
