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a.w.      Feb. 14th 1918   Jeremie, Hayti.

Dear Richmond:

     I wrote you yesterday saying I hoped to get off the 3 cases of specimens by the "Prins der Nederlands", but the Captain positively refused to take any thing whatever from Hayti. So I am leaving the cases behind at the Custom house here to send at earliest opportunity, that may be 2 weeks or 3 months. The Collector, Mr. Robin, says he will get them off when he can. He is American. I cant take the cases with me to Port au Prince. I have only a small open sail boat, already full of my luggage & gear. It rains frequently & everything will get soaking wet, & the voyage of 120 miles to windward, will take 2 or 3 weeks, including stop in Gonave Island. Probably a most wretched & miserable trip. I wish it was over. So it seems best to take chances (very uncertain) of the cases going from here. There are no steamers calling here on north bound voyage, but some shipments for N.Y. are made on southward  (outward) voyage. Any how cant do any better. The trouble is the Collector & the other chaps will probably forget all about it. The agent here will not take delivery for shipment, as I have always done elsewhere. So the Collector in N.Y. had better be notified to be ready to receive the cases whatever vessel they may come by. 

   The 3 cases are marked as usual
           U.S National Museum
           Care Collector Port of New York

Like everything else everything is completely upset & disorganized owing to the war.

Hope everything will eventually turn up. 

Yours truly
(signed) W.L. Abbott.

orig filed with acc. papers