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 



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