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^[[1/6424  Aug.15]]

[[circular stamp]] SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION  AUG 10 1865 [[/circular stamp]]

San Francisco  July 9th 1865

My Dear Prof Baird.

I arrived here the last of April - ten weeks since I've been in a perfect [[underlined]] purgatory [[/underlined]] even since till today. - It is now announced absolutely that we sail tomorrow. - I am to go up the Youkon -. I must make most of the distance in winter - I may
have a tough time - but [[?marl ?Is ?Raguett]] will be charming by contrast with the infernal time Ive had here.

[[strikethrough]] Im [[/strikethrough]] It is now near midnight and I must write hurriedly.

Since I last wrote I have felt unwilling to say one word about matters because I could
not write without complaining - or seeming to do so. - To make short