
          Charleston 16 Oct 1854

My dear Sir,

I left your house in New York
sometime after 2 p.m. stopped at the College
to get the minerals you kindly put 
up for me, picked up my other packages
at Pike's & got fown to the boat in time;
and was soon [crossed out: out] on my way out of your
beautiful bay. A very pleasant trip of
2� days (not a week as you supposed) brought 
me to my native city, passing several indications
of the effects of the late gale, in the
form of vessels "bottom up", dismasted brigs
& ships, one of which we towed into port.

The appearance of my City was in
melancholy contrast, not only with your
bustling Babel, but with its own usually
active condition, in consequence of the prevalence
of the pestilence. The ravages of the
        