
Moist & warm continued, but the sun is out this afternoon—I am so-so—from sitting in the big chair (as now) to reclining on the bed, with palm leaf fan in hand—getting along fairly with all—I hope you will receive the two little L of G. sent by mail yesterday—Am slowly lazily occupying myself, (must have something to do or pretend) with getting the photos & prints of different stages on uniform sized cards or sheets, to be put in a good handsome fitting envelope (? perhaps album)—you shall receive one collected of all the portraits (there are 6 or 7 or more) soon as prepared—though you have them all now.
Sunday Aug: 4 towards noon—Fine & clear & quiet—feeling fair as usual—cut up peaches, an egg, &c: for my breakfast—am sitting here alone in my big den—bowel action an hour ago—Mr. Stafford here yesterday afternoon—they are all well—rec'd a long good letter from a German scholar, has been in America, writes English Good, Edward Bertz, Holzmark't Str. 18, Pots-dam Prussia—He bids fair to be, or rather is, one of the first class friends of L of G.—I have sent him (& he rec'd) the big vol. & your book—I sent you a paper with intereting piece ab't Tennyson by Gosse (a pleasant blanc-mange bit for the palate)—
WW
–A lengthy article in the Eagle upon the Kings Co. farm for its lunatics and paupers at St. Johnland, aims to show that, despite the contentions and perhaps wasteful expenditure over the site and structure, the experiment itself, under the capable direction of Dr. D A Harrison, medical superintendent, has been a remarkable success. Only July 1 there were 660 patients, including epileptics, and the physical and mental benefit derived from their treatment—moderate daily exercise in the open air—is declared to be most noteworthy and gratifying. The "cottage system" of caring for and treating the insane, has proved in actual fact all that its advocates anticipated.
Again the North Pole
To win that bubble, fame, there is always a valiant "six hundred" who will rush into the jaws of death or into the mouth of hell. One of the outlets for these dauntless spirits has long been the quest for the North Pole. Whether its discovery is of sufficient value to science to warrant the tremendous hardships and risks to be run is not the question. It is a fruitful field for harrowing disaster, hence its attraction to the venturous. Next year there will be another attempt made to penetrate its frozen mysteries, this time by Dr. Nansen, a Norwegian, whose journey across Greenland last summer will furnish interesting reading when his book, which he is writing, is finished. His plan of campaign is bold and daring. He will ascend the east coast to a higher point, if possible, than the German and Lockwood expeditions, after crossing Greenland in its broaded part, starting from the west coast settlements. By this route, he will practically have completed the mapping of Greenland's coast line. Reaching the highest point possible on the Greenland coast, he will strike out over the frozen sea for the pole, severing all connections, and wasting no time in establishing bases of supplies. He has taken for his motto the old Norse proverb: "There is before us only heaven or hell," and says that he expects it will be the North Pole or death. Any well-equipped expeditions have been sent into these regions, but none have gained their ends. The elaborate preparations that were made for disaster in establishing a line of retreat exhausted their energies too soon. It would seem that a flying expedition like that propsed by Nansen might penetrate farther north than the former cumbrous ones. The scheme is backed by $100,000 capital, to which Mr. Gamel, whose name is already associated with arctic exploration, is the chief subscriber.

