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February 20, 1929

Mr. Edward Williams 
46 La Belle Avenue 
Detroit, Michigan

Dear Mr. Williams:

Though I have been some time answering your letter, I have not forgotten your several inquiries. I know you would like to visit Juan Fernandez, but I fear that you would not find it very helpful with your present difficulty. Though not cold, the climate is cool, very much like upper California. Rains are plentiful, and, though there is hail during the winter there is no freezing weather. The dampness would adversely affect your health, I am sure. It is because of the great moisture of the climate that there is such luxuriant vegetation.

Houses can be had on occasion, but I doubt if for more than rent, as the town is virtually the property of the fishing concession which furnishes the livelihood for the inhabitants. My advice to folks who want to visit Juan Fernandez is to first make a trip there to look over the ground. The Pacific Steam Navigation Company runs a once yearly excursion to the island, usually in December or January. You can learn about it by inquiry at some local travel bureau.

For a person who wants to live in a beautiful place, with practically none of the civilized conveniences as we knew them today; who just wants to vegetate for the rest of his life, Juan Fernandez would be the ideal place. Like any other part of the world, I am sure you could find some single girl who would listen to a matrimonial proposal. The Frenchman in my article was shipwrecked on Juan Fernandez, found himself a wife, and has there raised a family.

I hope I have given you such information as you wanted. If not, please write me again.

Sincerely.
[[initialed - W]]
Waldo L. Schmitt,
Curator of Marine Invertebrates.

P.S. I sympathize with your difficulty in hearing. I am quite hard of hearing myself.

W.L.S.

Transcription Notes:
In "Company runs a once yearly", there is an extra space in between "a" and "once".