Slguatepeaue, 
Rep. of Honduras,C.A. 
October 13,1932 
My dear Professor Ames; 
There are several matters which I wish to take 
up with you at this time. 
Some time ago I asked you to send me some 
badly needed materials;Old News Papers.Driers and Bottles. I have 
managed to get enough bottles to make the next shipment but after 
that ! do not know what I shall Use as containers for the specimens 
in alcohol. I suggested that you return the bottles I had sent in. 
Please advise me if there is any chance for mr to get these materials 
I know that in our agreement I am to pay all 
my living and clothing expences but there are some things which I 
want you to know about my expence account, to show you how little I 
am really making after paying these expences. Since leaving Minas 
de Oro in July,my expences for meals,room,medicines and work clothes 
have averaged $3.50 per day. So you see I am not saving much money. 
As to the matter of traveling expences: I 
feel thatjunder the present system;and I can not change the present 
system without assistance; we are getting the same results that we 
should be getting,under some other system, for about 50^ of v/hat we 
are now spending. I am making this suggestion: Just now we are 
working from Sigu.atepeq.ue by mule back. Because of the heavy rains, 
which,start about 1:00 p.M. and continue until midnight,we can not 
spend more than four hours per day in the field as it takes about 
two hours to go anywhere on mule. We collect until the rain starts 
and then ride back to headquarters thru a tropical downpour. I do 
not mind the daily soakings but it %s as impossible to protect our 
equipment which we have with us as it is to collect in the rain. If 
I had a small truck say,a 3/4 ton Ford, I could make a great deal 
more headway collecting thanll am doing now. There are fairly good 
roads radiating in all directions from Slguatepeque,Comayagua and 
Tegucigalpa. I could start out in the morning in the truck and in 
one hour be farther fron town than I could be in six hours by mule 
I could carry all the equipment needed for a two or three days stay 
away from headquarters. Our collected specimens would be protected 
from the rain. Out of Comayagua there are roads up and down the 
valley and one going to Tegucigalpa and one going to the village of 
La Paz which is about one third of the way up on the La Pas mountain. 
Out of Tegucigalpa we have all weather roads to the South Coast.to 
Danli in the Dept.of Paralso, to Talanga and on to Guaimaca in the 
Dept.of Tegucigalpa. In the dry season we have roads on from 
Guaimaca to Juticalpa in the Dept.of Olancho. From Talanga to Minas 
de Oro in the Dept.of Comayagua via Cidros. Also to ohher points 
out of Tegucigalpa. While in Tegucigalpa this week I saw just the 
Truck I need. It is a new 3/4 ton Ford 1931 model,has been used 
only as a demonstrator by the Ford Agency and the price $600.00 
is very cheap. If you people will buy this truck for my use I am 
sure that the work would progress more satisfactorly and the cost of 
gasoline and the upkeep of the truck would not be grea ter t han we 
are paying now for mule hire and Auto fares The 
Ford people agree to buy the truck back when we are thru with it at 
a fair price depending on #$# it's condition at that time. I do 
Over 
