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Dec. 30/96.

Mr. J. F. Watson,
1 Church Gate St.,
Bombay, India.

Dear Mr. Watson:

Your valued favor of 26th November reached me Christmas morning and your remembrance together with the interesting account of the conditions of affairs in Bombay was highly esteemed and proved cheering Christmas news. The accounts published in America concerning the famine and plague in India have their origin principally in the ornate homes of the missionaries and are accordingly ornamental and untruthful, designed I fancy more for the purpose of increasing the flow of shekels rather than genuine sympathy. Seriously speaking, it really is comforting to feel that the suffering is much less throughout India and especially in Bombay than we have in this country been led to believe.

The reference you made concerning the pride of the native artist who made the beaker is a sign of self-appreciation which I think his work thoroughly justifies. The beaker has the place of honor in the Yondotega Club - - which by the way is the swell Club of the west - - and has been admired very much not only by the members of the Club but its numerous visitors as well. I shall not soon forget the narrow escape I ran from trying to empty other beakers the day yours was unpacked. I wish you could have been with me to have helped and to have seen the pleasure of the man present.

I wonder of you remember the circular shaped silver box with cover, about six inches high and from three and a half to four inches in diameter, with Buddhistic figures around the sides of the box and two dancing figures on the bottom of the box, said to have been found near Elora and which I purchased from you. Well，this

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